WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does legislation explicitly guarantee equal pay on the basis of social class?

The term “social class” encompasses a diversity of terminology used across countries, and includes references to ‘caste’, ‘social background’, ‘economic standing’, ‘economic status’, ‘social condition’, ‘social origin’, ‘socioeconomic status’, ‘disadvantaged’, ‘property status, ‘education’, and others. For the purposes of this variable, the term “social class” 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 social class. 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 social class.

Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class means that legislation extends a prohibition of discrimination at the workplace on the basis of social class, 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 social class-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 social class, 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 social class, or b) extends a broad prohibition of workplace discrimination on the basis of social class 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

Bolivia - No guarantee

Botswana - No guarantee

Brazil - No guarantee

Brunei - No guarantee

Canada - No guarantee

Chad - No guarantee

Democratic Republic of the Congo - No guarantee

Cyprus - No guarantee

Dominica - No guarantee

Egypt - No guarantee

Ethiopia - No guarantee

The Gambia - No guarantee

Germany - No guarantee

Greenland - No guarantee

Guinea-Bissau - No guarantee

Haiti - No guarantee

Iceland - No guarantee

India - No guarantee

Indonesia - No guarantee

Iran - No guarantee

Ireland - No guarantee

Israel - No guarantee

Jamaica - No guarantee

Jordan - No guarantee

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No guarantee

Kuwait - No guarantee

Laos - No guarantee

Lebanon - No guarantee

Liechtenstein - No guarantee

Luxembourg - No guarantee

Malaysia - No guarantee

Malta - No guarantee

Marshall Islands - No guarantee

Micronesia, Federated States of - No guarantee

Monaco - No guarantee

Myanmar - No guarantee

Nauru - No guarantee

The Netherlands - No guarantee

New Zealand - No guarantee

Nigeria - No guarantee

Norway - 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

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

Sweden - No guarantee

Switzerland - No guarantee

Thailand - No guarantee

Tonga - No guarantee

Trinidad and Tobago - No guarantee

Tunisia - No guarantee

United Arab Emirates - No guarantee

United States of America - No guarantee

Uruguay - No guarantee

Vanuatu - No guarantee

Yemen - No guarantee

Zimbabwe - No guarantee

Afghanistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Andorra - General guarantee of equal pay

Central African Republic - General guarantee of equal pay

China - General guarantee of equal pay

Cuba - General guarantee of equal pay

Iraq - General guarantee of equal pay

Italy - General guarantee of equal pay

Poland - General guarantee of equal pay

South Sudan - General guarantee of equal pay

Argentina - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Armenia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Australia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Barbados - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Belarus - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Belize - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Chile - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Colombia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Croatia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

El Salvador - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Estonia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Finland - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Gabon - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Grenada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Guatemala - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Guyana - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Honduras - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Kiribati - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Republic of Korea - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Lesotho - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Libya - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Mongolia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Mozambique - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Nicaragua - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Panama - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Samoa - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Somalia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

St. Lucia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Suriname - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Eswatini - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Türkiye - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Tuvalu - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Uganda - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Ukraine - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

United Kingdom - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Venezuela - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Vietnam - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on social class

Azerbaijan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Belgium - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Bulgaria - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Burkina Faso - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Cambodia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Cameroon - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Cabo Verde - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

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

Costa Rica - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Dominican Republic - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Ecuador - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Eritrea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

France - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Georgia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Ghana - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Greece - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Guinea - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Hungary - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Japan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Kazakhstan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Kyrgyzstan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Liberia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

North Macedonia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Maldives - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Mauritania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Mexico - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Morocco - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Namibia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Nepal - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Peru - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Romania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Senegal - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Slovakia - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Spain - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Tanzania - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Uzbekistan - Guarantees equal pay for equal work based on social class

Albania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Algeria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Angola - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Benin - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Bhutan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Burundi - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Comoros - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

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

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

Denmark - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Djibouti - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Equatorial Guinea - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Fiji - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Kenya - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Latvia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Lithuania - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Madagascar - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Malawi - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Mali - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Mauritius - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Moldova - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Montenegro - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Niger - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Paraguay - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Portugal - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

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

Rwanda - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

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

Serbia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Slovenia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

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

Syria - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Tajikistan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

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

Togo - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Turkmenistan - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class

Zambia - Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value based on social class