WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly guarantee equal pay on the basis of foreign national origin?

The term “foreign national origin” includes references to ‘ancestry’, ‘citizenship or origin of parents’, ‘country or place of birth’, ‘homeland’, ‘national descent’, or ‘national origin’. For the purposes of this variable, the term “foreign national origin” 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 foreign national origin. 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 foreign national origin.

Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin means that legislation extends a prohibition of discrimination at the workplace on the basis of foreign national origin, 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 foreign national origin-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 foreign national origin, 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 foreign national origin, or b) extends a broad prohibition of workplace discrimination on the basis of foreign national origin alongside a general guarantee to equal pay for work of equal value to all workers.

Countries

Antigua and Barbuda - No guarantee

Austria - No guarantee

Bahamas - No guarantee

Bahrain - No guarantee

Bangladesh - No guarantee

Barbados - No guarantee

Belize - No guarantee

Benin - No guarantee

Bhutan - No guarantee

Bolivia - No guarantee

Botswana - No guarantee

Brunei - No guarantee

Cambodia - No guarantee

Cameroon - No guarantee

Chad - No guarantee

Democratic Republic of the Congo - No guarantee

Republic of the Congo - No guarantee

Dominica - No guarantee

Egypt - No guarantee

Estonia - No guarantee

Ethiopia - No guarantee

The Gambia - No guarantee

Germany - No guarantee

Greenland - No guarantee

Guatemala - No guarantee

Guinea-Bissau - No guarantee

Haiti - No guarantee

Iceland - No guarantee

India - No guarantee

Indonesia - No guarantee

Iran - No guarantee

Israel - No guarantee

Jamaica - No guarantee

Japan - No guarantee

Jordan - No guarantee

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No guarantee

Kuwait - No guarantee

Laos - No guarantee

Lebanon - No guarantee

Libya - No guarantee

Liechtenstein - No guarantee

Lithuania - No guarantee

Malawi - No guarantee

Malaysia - No guarantee

Maldives - No guarantee

Malta - No guarantee

Marshall Islands - No guarantee

Micronesia, Federated States of - No guarantee

Monaco - No guarantee

Mongolia - No guarantee

Myanmar - No guarantee

Nauru - No guarantee

Nepal - No guarantee

The Netherlands - No guarantee

Nigeria - No guarantee

Oman - No guarantee

Pakistan - No guarantee

Palau - No guarantee

Papua New Guinea - No guarantee

Paraguay - No guarantee

The Philippines - No guarantee

Qatar - No guarantee

San Marino - No guarantee

Saudi Arabia - No guarantee

Senegal - No guarantee

Seychelles - No guarantee

Sierra Leone - 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

Switzerland - No guarantee

Thailand - No guarantee

Tonga - No guarantee

Tunisia - No guarantee

Türkiye - No guarantee

Ukraine - No guarantee

United Arab Emirates - No guarantee

Uruguay - No guarantee

Vanuatu - No guarantee

Venezuela - No guarantee

Vietnam - No guarantee

Yemen - No guarantee

Afghanistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Albania - General guarantee of equal pay

Andorra - General guarantee of equal pay

Angola - General guarantee of equal pay

Bulgaria - General guarantee of equal pay

Burundi - General guarantee of equal pay

Cabo Verde - General guarantee of equal pay

Central African Republic - General guarantee of equal pay

China - General guarantee of equal pay

Czech Republic - General guarantee of equal pay

Ecuador - General guarantee of equal pay

Eritrea - General guarantee of equal pay

Ghana - General guarantee of equal pay

Iraq - General guarantee of equal pay

Italy - General guarantee of equal pay

Kazakhstan - General guarantee of equal pay

Kyrgyzstan - General guarantee of equal pay

Nicaragua - General guarantee of equal pay

Panama - General guarantee of equal pay

Poland - General guarantee of equal pay

Romania - General guarantee of equal pay

Russian Federation - General guarantee of equal pay

South Africa - General guarantee of equal pay

Syria - General guarantee of equal pay

Tajikistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Timor-Leste - General guarantee of equal pay

Turkmenistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Uzbekistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Argentina - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Armenia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Australia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Belarus - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Burkina Faso - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Canada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Chile - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Colombia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Croatia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

El Salvador - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Finland - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Gabon - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Grenada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Guyana - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Honduras - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Kiribati - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Republic of Korea - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Lesotho - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Mali - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Mauritania - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Namibia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

New Zealand - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Samoa - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Somalia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Spain - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

St. Lucia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Suriname - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Eswatini - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Trinidad and Tobago - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Tuvalu - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Uganda - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

United Kingdom - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on foreign national origin

Azerbaijan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Belgium - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Brazil - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Costa Rica - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Cuba - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Cyprus - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Djibouti - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Dominican Republic - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

France - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Georgia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Greece - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Guinea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Hungary - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Liberia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Luxembourg - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

North Macedonia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Mexico - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Moldova - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Morocco - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Mozambique - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Niger - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Norway - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Peru - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Slovakia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Sweden - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Tanzania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

United States of America - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Zimbabwe - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on foreign national origin

Algeria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Comoros - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Cote d'Ivoire - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Denmark - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Equatorial Guinea - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Fiji - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Ireland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Kenya - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Latvia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Madagascar - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Mauritius - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Montenegro - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Portugal - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Rwanda - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Sao Tome and Principe - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Serbia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Slovenia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

South Sudan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Togo - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin

Zambia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on foreign national origin