WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly guarantee equal pay on the basis of age?

The term “age” includes broad references to ‘age’ and specific protections for minors, the elderly, or individuals above a certain age. For the purposes of this variable, the term “age” captures all of these definitions.

No guarantee means that legislation does not take an explicit approach to prohibiting discrimination in pay on the basis of age. This does not mean that legislation denies this guarantee.

General guarantee of equal pay means that legislation guarantees equal remuneration, equal pay for equal work, or equal pay for work of equal value generally— for example, by prohibiting discrimination based on “any status” or stating no worker may be discriminated against. This general prohibition is not specifically extended on the basis of age.

Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age means that legislation extends a prohibition of discrimination at the workplace on the basis of age, but does not explicitly address discrimination in pay on this basis. These broad prohibitions use language that could extend prohibition of discrimination across any aspect of work. It also includes cases where age-based discrimination is prohibited in terms of employment.

Guarantees equal pay means that legislation either a) extends an explicit guarantee to equal remuneration or equal pay for equal work on the basis of age, or b) extends a broad prohibition of workplace discrimination on this basis alongside a guarantee for equal remuneration or equal pay for equal work to all workers.

Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value indicates a guarantee that types of work that require similar skill levels and are similarly productive are paid the same. In these cases, legislation either: a) extends an explicit guarantee to equal pay for work of equal value on the basis of age, or b) extends a broad prohibition of workplace discrimination on the basis of age alongside a general guarantee to equal pay for work of equal value to all workers.

Countries

Bahrain - No guarantee

Bangladesh - No guarantee

Bhutan - No guarantee

Bolivia - No guarantee

Botswana - No guarantee

Brunei - No guarantee

Dominica - No guarantee

Egypt - No guarantee

Ethiopia - No guarantee

The Gambia - No guarantee

Greenland - No guarantee

Guatemala - No guarantee

Haiti - No guarantee

India - No guarantee

Indonesia - No guarantee

Israel - No guarantee

Jamaica - No guarantee

Japan - No guarantee

Jordan - No guarantee

Laos - No guarantee

Lebanon - No guarantee

Lesotho - No guarantee

Libya - No guarantee

Liechtenstein - No guarantee

Malaysia - No guarantee

Marshall Islands - No guarantee

Micronesia, Federated States of - No guarantee

Monaco - No guarantee

Morocco - No guarantee

Myanmar - No guarantee

Namibia - No guarantee

Nauru - No guarantee

Nepal - No guarantee

Nigeria - No guarantee

Oman - No guarantee

Pakistan - No guarantee

Palau - No guarantee

Papua New Guinea - No guarantee

Qatar - No guarantee

Samoa - No guarantee

San Marino - No guarantee

Singapore - No guarantee

Solomon Islands - No guarantee

Sri Lanka - No guarantee

St. Kitts and Nevis - No guarantee

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No guarantee

Sudan - No guarantee

Eswatini - No guarantee

Switzerland - No guarantee

Thailand - No guarantee

Tonga - No guarantee

Trinidad and Tobago - No guarantee

Tunisia - No guarantee

Uganda - No guarantee

United Arab Emirates - No guarantee

Uruguay - No guarantee

Vanuatu - No guarantee

Zimbabwe - No guarantee

Angola - General guarantee of equal pay

Cabo Verde - General guarantee of equal pay

China - General guarantee of equal pay

Comoros - General guarantee of equal pay

Equatorial Guinea - General guarantee of equal pay

Eritrea - General guarantee of equal pay

Ghana - General guarantee of equal pay

Iraq - General guarantee of equal pay

Kenya - General guarantee of equal pay

Malawi - General guarantee of equal pay

Nicaragua - General guarantee of equal pay

Panama - General guarantee of equal pay

Rwanda - General guarantee of equal pay

Syria - General guarantee of equal pay

Tajikistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Andorra - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Argentina - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Armenia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Australia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Barbados - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Belarus - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Belize - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Canada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Chile - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Croatia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Cuba - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Finland - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Grenada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Guinea-Bissau - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Guyana - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Kiribati - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Kuwait - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Mozambique - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

The Netherlands - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Saudi Arabia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Sierra Leone - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

St. Lucia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Suriname - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Türkiye - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Tuvalu - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

United Kingdom - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Venezuela - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Vietnam - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Yemen - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age

Antigua and Barbuda - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Azerbaijan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Belgium - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Bulgaria - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Burkina Faso - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Cameroon - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Central African Republic - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Republic of the Congo - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Costa Rica - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Cyprus - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Dominican Republic - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

El Salvador - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Estonia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

France - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Georgia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Germany - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Greece - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Honduras - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Hungary - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Iran - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Italy - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Kazakhstan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Republic of Korea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Kyrgyzstan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Liberia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Luxembourg - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

North Macedonia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Maldives - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Malta - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Mauritania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Mexico - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

New Zealand - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Norway - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Paraguay - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Peru - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

The Philippines - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Romania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Senegal - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Seychelles - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Slovakia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Spain - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Sweden - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Tanzania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

United States of America - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Uzbekistan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Zambia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on age

Albania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Algeria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Austria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Bahamas - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Benin - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Brazil - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Burundi - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Cambodia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Chad - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Colombia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Cote d'Ivoire - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Czech Republic - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Denmark - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Djibouti - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Ecuador - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Fiji - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Gabon - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Guinea - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Iceland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Ireland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Latvia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Lithuania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Madagascar - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Mali - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Mauritius - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Moldova - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Mongolia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Montenegro - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Niger - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Poland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Portugal - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Russian Federation - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Sao Tome and Principe - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Serbia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Slovenia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Somalia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

South Africa - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

South Sudan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Timor-Leste - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Togo - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Turkmenistan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age

Ukraine - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on age