WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly guarantee equal pay on the basis of race/ethnicity?

The term “race/ethnicity” includes references to ‘color’, ‘clan’, ‘ethnic origin’, or ‘ethnic groups’. For the purposes of this variable, the term “race/ethnicity” 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 race/ethnicity. 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 race/ethnicity.

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

Countries

Bahrain - No guarantee

Bangladesh - No guarantee

Bolivia - No guarantee

Botswana - No guarantee

Brunei - 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

Ethiopia - No guarantee

The Gambia - No guarantee

Greenland - No guarantee

Haiti - No guarantee

India - No guarantee

Israel - No guarantee

Jamaica - No guarantee

Japan - No guarantee

Jordan - No guarantee

Republic of Korea - No guarantee

Kuwait - No guarantee

Laos - No guarantee

Lebanon - No guarantee

Liechtenstein - No guarantee

Malaysia - No guarantee

Marshall Islands - No guarantee

Micronesia, Federated States of - No guarantee

Monaco - No guarantee

Myanmar - No guarantee

Nauru - No guarantee

Nigeria - No guarantee

Oman - No guarantee

Pakistan - No guarantee

Palau - No guarantee

Papua New Guinea - No guarantee

The Philippines - No guarantee

Qatar - No guarantee

San Marino - No guarantee

Saudi Arabia - No guarantee

Senegal - 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

United Arab Emirates - No guarantee

Uruguay - No guarantee

Vanuatu - No guarantee

Afghanistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Argentina - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Armenia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Australia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Barbados - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Belarus - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Belize - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Burkina Faso - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Canada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Chile - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

China - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Croatia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Finland - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Gabon - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Grenada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Guatemala - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Guinea-Bissau - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Guyana - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Indonesia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Kiribati - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Lesotho - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Mali - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Mauritania - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Mongolia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

The Netherlands - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

New Zealand - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Panama - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Paraguay - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Samoa - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Somalia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

St. Lucia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Suriname - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Eswatini - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Togo - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Trinidad and Tobago - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Türkiye - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Tuvalu - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Uganda - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Ukraine - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

United Kingdom - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Venezuela - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Vietnam - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Yemen - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on race/ ethnicity

Andorra - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Antigua and Barbuda - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Azerbaijan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Belgium - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Benin - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Bulgaria - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Cambodia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Cabo Verde - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Central African Republic - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Costa Rica - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Cuba - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Cyprus - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Djibouti - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Dominican Republic - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Ecuador - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

El Salvador - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Eritrea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Estonia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

France - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Georgia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Germany - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Ghana - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Greece - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Guinea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Honduras - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Hungary - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Iran - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Iraq - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Italy - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Kazakhstan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Kyrgyzstan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Liberia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Luxembourg - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

North Macedonia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Maldives - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Mexico - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Morocco - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Mozambique - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Namibia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Nepal - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Nicaragua - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Niger - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Norway - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Peru - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Romania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Seychelles - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Slovakia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Spain - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Sweden - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Tanzania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

United States of America - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Uzbekistan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Zimbabwe - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on race/ ethnicity

Albania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Algeria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Angola - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Austria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Bahamas - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Bhutan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Brazil - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Burundi - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Colombia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Comoros - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Cote d'Ivoire - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Czech Republic - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Denmark - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Equatorial Guinea - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Fiji - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Iceland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Ireland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Kenya - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Latvia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Libya - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Lithuania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Madagascar - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Malawi - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Malta - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Mauritius - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Moldova - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Montenegro - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Poland - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Portugal - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Russian Federation - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Rwanda - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Sao Tome and Principe - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Serbia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Slovenia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

South Africa - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

South Sudan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Syria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Tajikistan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Timor-Leste - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Turkmenistan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity

Zambia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on race/ ethnicity