List of red-light districts

Red-light districts are areas associated with the sex industry and sex-oriented businesses (e.g. sex shops and strip clubs). In some of these places prostitution occurs, whether legally or illegally. The enforcement of prostitution laws varies by region.
Following is a partial list of well known red-light districts around the world, both current and historical.
Prostitution is legal but third-party involvement is prohibited.
Prostitution is not specifically prohibited by the law, but soliciting and pimping are illegal.
Prostitution in Egypt is illegal.
Prostitution in Ivory Coast is legal.
Prostitution is illegal.
Prostitution in Mauritania is illegal.
Prostitution is illegal.
Prostitution is illegal.
Prostitution is regulated.
Prostitution in Bangladesh is legal and regulated.
Prostitution is illegal, but tolerated.
Prostitution is illegal.
Prostitution itself is not illegal but operating a brothel is illegal.
Prostitution is legal when performed by a person acting alone in private but public solicitation, brothels and pimping are illegal (however in practice prostitution is tolerated and regulated).
Prostitution is illegal in non-regulated areas. Prostitution is legal in some locations (including pimping and maintaining a brothel).
Prostitution in Iran is illegal, and incurs various punishments ranging from fines and jail terms to execution for repeat offenders.
Prostitution in Iraq is illegal, and penalties are severe.
Prostitution is illegal but narrowly defined. Many sexual acts for pay that would be considered to be prostitution in other countries are legal.
Prostitution is illegal.
Prostitution is legal but pimping and operating a brothel are illegal.
Prostitution in most of Malaysia is legal and widespread, though there are laws against prostitution-related activities. However, prostitution is illegal in Malaysia's Kelantan state.
Prostitution is illegal, but in practice it is tolerated and regulated.
Prostitution is illegal, but in practice it is somewhat tolerated although not regulated.
Prostitution is illegal, but widespread and generally tolerated.
Prostitution itself is not illegal; however, public solicitation, living on the earnings of prostitution, and maintaining a brothel are illegal.
Prostitution in Taiwan was made illegal under a 1991 law. Legislation was introduced in 2011 to allow local governments in Taiwan to set up "special zones" where prostitution is permitted. Outside these zones prostitution is illegal. As of 2017 no "special zones" had been opened.
Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, and solicitation and public nuisance laws are in effect. In practice it is tolerated and partly regulated.
Prostitution is legal and regulated.
Prostitution is legal and regulated.
Prostitution is legal, though brothels are not. Enforcement of the law can be lax.
Prostitution is illegal.
Prostitution is legal, but brothels and other forms of procuring are prohibited.
Ostrava
Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.
Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.
Paying for sex, pimping and keeping a brothel are illegal. Prostitutes commit no offence unless soliciting.
Prostitution is legal and regulated.
Prostitution illegal.
Prostitution is legal and regulated.
Paying for sex is illegal, as is soliciting in a public place, operating brothels, and other forms of pimping.
Prostitution in Italy is legal, although organized prostitution, whether indoors in brothels or controlled by third parties, is prohibited.
Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.
Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.
Prostitution and associated activities are legal and common. A total of 11 cities in the Netherlands have red light districts with window prostitution.
Prostitution is legal, but running brothels and pimping are illegal.
Brothels are illegal (since 1956), but "clubs" and "wiskerias" are fronts for prostitution and are tolerated.
Prostitution is legal and regulated.
Prostitution is not illegal when performed by a person acting alone in private, but public solicitation, brothels and pimping are. The Policing and Crime Act 2009 makes it illegal to pay for sex with a prostitute who has been "subjected to force" and this is a strict liability offence (clients can be prosecuted even if they did not know the prostitute was forced).
Prostitution is legal, but related activities are prohibited.
Prostitution is legal and regulated.
Prostitution is legal, but related activities such as brothel keeping and solicitation are prohibited.
Prostitution is legal but the purchase of sexual services is not (the client commits the offence not the prostitute). Many associated activities (brothels, advertising, street walking) are also illegal.
Prostitution is legal, but related activities such as brothel keeping are illegal.
Prostitution is legal, but procuring is prohibited.
Prostitution is legal and regulated.
Prostitution laws vary by state and territory, however it is illegal except for some rural counties of Nevada. Strip clubs are legal in most areas, including fully nude strip clubs. Many massage shops offer "happy endings", which is an illegal form of prostitution.
Prostitution laws vary by state, either being legal or decriminalized.
Prostitution and associated activities are legal.