Prostitution Prostitution laws in Paraguay
Paraguay does not criminalise selling or buying sex between adults. As amended by Law 3440 of 2008, the Penal Code punishes inducing into prostitution a person under 16, or one aged between 16 and the age of majority by abusing their helplessness, trust or naivety or while responsible for their education, with up to five years or a fine (six if done commercially, eight if the victim is under 14). Exploiting a person who sells sex by taking advantage of their earnings (rufianería, now article 129a) carries up to five years. Trafficking for sexual exploitation is a separate offence. No offence specifically covers keeping a brothel or advertising sexual services.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
Selling and buying sex between adults are not offences. The Penal Code's third-party offences are narrow: inducing a person into prostitution is punished only where the person is under 16, or between 16 and the age of majority and abused or in the offender's care (art. 139), and exploiting a person in prostitution by taking advantage of their earnings is punished as rufianería (art. 129a). No provision specifically bans brothels, so the case is borderline between abolitionism and decriminalisation.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Legal | Selling sex is not an offence under the Penal Code.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | Paying an adult for sex is not an offence under the Penal Code. Sexual offences against children and adolescents apply separately.[1][2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | No Penal Code provision specifically bans keeping a brothel. Operators may be liable for rufianería if they exploit a person who sells sex by taking advantage of her earnings (up to five years), and for proxenetismo or trafficking where minors or coercion are involved.[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | Inducing into prostitution a person under 16, or aged 16 to the age of majority by abusing helplessness, trust or naivety or while in charge of their education, carries up to five years or a fine (six if commercial, eight if under 14). Exploiting a person who sells sex by taking advantage of their earnings carries up to five years. Inducing an adult into prostitution without exploitation is not an offence.[1][2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Legal | No Penal Code provision specifically on advertising adult sexual services was found. Advertising involving minors would fall under the offences protecting children.[1][2] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is not an offence under the Penal Code.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Municipal ordinances (for example on street work or venues in Asunción) and police practice were not reviewed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Paying an adult for sex is not an offence under the Penal Code. Sexual offences against children and adolescents apply separately.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Based on the Penal Code chapters on sexual offences; later amendments after 2008 were not consolidated in the texts checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
No Penal Code provision specifically bans keeping a brothel. Operators may be liable for rufianería if they exploit a person who sells sex by taking advantage of her earnings (up to five years), and for proxenetismo or trafficking where minors or coercion are involved.[1]
Confidence: medium. Where the line between a venue's commercial share and "exploiting" earnings lies was not checked in case law; municipal licensing of venues was not reviewed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Inducing into prostitution a person under 16, or aged 16 to the age of majority by abusing helplessness, trust or naivety or while in charge of their education, carries up to five years or a fine (six if commercial, eight if under 14). Exploiting a person who sells sex by taking advantage of their earnings carries up to five years. Inducing an adult into prostitution without exploitation is not an offence.[1][2]
Law 3440 of 2008 rewrote article 139 (proxenetismo), lowering the age thresholds from 18 to 16, and moved rufianería from article 140 to a new article 129a; article 140 now covers child sexual-abuse material. Article 129b covers trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Confidence: medium. Whether later laws, such as the 2012 comprehensive anti-trafficking law, changed these articles was not verified.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No Penal Code provision specifically on advertising adult sexual services was found. Advertising involving minors would fall under the offences protecting children.[1][2]
Confidence: low. Only the Penal Code was reviewed; media, telecommunications, municipal and platform rules were not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Ley N° 1160, Código Penal Law 1160/97, Penal Code arts. 129, 139, 140 (original numbering) | Original text of the prostitution-related offences (arts. 129, 139, 140).[2] | |
| Ley N° 3440, que modifica varias disposiciones de la Ley N° 1.160/97, Código Penal Law 3440 amending several provisions of the Penal Code (2008) arts. 129a, 129b, 139 | Current wording of proxenetismo (art. 139), rufianería (art. 129a) and trafficking for sexual exploitation (art. 129b).[1] |
Timeline
Sources
- Ley N° 3440, que modifica varias disposiciones de la Ley N° 1.160/97, Código Penal (Law No. 3440 amending several provisions of Law No. 1,160/97, Penal Code). Biblioteca y Archivo Central del Congreso de la Nación (BACN), 16 July 2008. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Ley N° 1160, Código Penal (Law No. 1160, Penal Code). Biblioteca y Archivo Central del Congreso de la Nación (BACN). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026