WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does the constitution explicitly guarantee equality or non-discrimination across race/ethnicity?

This map tells us whether nations take at least one approach to protecting equity based on ethnicity in their constitution.

Only constitutional provisions are included in this map. Legislative protections are not shown here. Read more about why constitutions matter.

Explicit guarantees of equality or non-discrimination across race/ethnicity include prohibitions of discrimination against any particular racial/ethnic group, and guarantees of equal rights, guarantees of equality before the law, and guarantees of overall equality for different racial or ethnic groups in a country.

No specific provision means that the constitution does not explicitly mention the right to equality or non-discrimination based on ethnicity for all citizens. This does not mean that the constitution denies this right, but that it does not explicitly include it.

Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity means the right to equality and/or non-discrimination is guaranteed for all citizens, but not specifically on the basis of ethnicity.

Aspirational provision means that the constitution protects the general right to equality and/or non-discrimination based on ethnicity but does not use language strong enough to be considered a guarantee. For example, constitutions in this category might state that the country aims to protect or promote equality based on ethnicity.

Guaranteed right means that the constitution protects the right to equality and/or non-discrimination based on ethnicity in authoritative language. For example, constitutions in this category might guarantee citizens’ right to equality based on ethnicity or make it the State’s responsibility to ensure this right.

Countries

Australia - No specific provision

Brunei - No specific provision

Denmark - No specific provision

Greenland - No specific provision

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No specific provision

Nauru - No specific provision

Saudi Arabia - No specific provision

Argentina - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Bahrain - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Belgium - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Chile - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Costa Rica - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

El Salvador - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Finland - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Greece - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Guatemala - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Haiti - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Indonesia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Ireland - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Republic of Korea - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Kuwait - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Latvia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Lebanon - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Libya - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Liechtenstein - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Luxembourg - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Monaco - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Montenegro - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Norway - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Pakistan - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Paraguay - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

The Philippines - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Poland - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Qatar - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Samoa - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

San Marino - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Seychelles - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Syria - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Tonga - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Tunisia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

United Arab Emirates - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

United States of America - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Uruguay - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Vietnam - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Yemen - Equality guaranteed, not specific to race/ethnicity

Israel - Aspirational provision

Madagascar - Aspirational provision

Afghanistan - Guaranteed right

Albania - Guaranteed right

Algeria - Guaranteed right

Andorra - Guaranteed right

Angola - Guaranteed right

Antigua and Barbuda - Guaranteed right

Armenia - Guaranteed right

Austria - Guaranteed right

Azerbaijan - Guaranteed right

Bahamas - Guaranteed right

Bangladesh - Guaranteed right

Barbados - Guaranteed right

Belarus - Guaranteed right

Belize - Guaranteed right

Benin - Guaranteed right

Bhutan - Guaranteed right

Bolivia - Guaranteed right

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Guaranteed right

Botswana - Guaranteed right

Brazil - Guaranteed right

Bulgaria - Guaranteed right

Burkina Faso - Guaranteed right

Burundi - Guaranteed right

Cambodia - Guaranteed right

Cameroon - Guaranteed right

Canada - Guaranteed right

Cabo Verde - Guaranteed right

Central African Republic - Guaranteed right

Chad - Guaranteed right

China - Guaranteed right

Colombia - Guaranteed right

Comoros - Guaranteed right

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Guaranteed right

Republic of the Congo - Guaranteed right

Cote d'Ivoire - Guaranteed right

Croatia - Guaranteed right

Cuba - Guaranteed right

Cyprus - Guaranteed right

Czech Republic - Guaranteed right

Djibouti - Guaranteed right

Dominica - Guaranteed right

Dominican Republic - Guaranteed right

Ecuador - Guaranteed right

Egypt - Guaranteed right

Equatorial Guinea - Guaranteed right

Eritrea - Guaranteed right

Estonia - Guaranteed right

Ethiopia - Guaranteed right

Fiji - Guaranteed right

France - Guaranteed right

Gabon - Guaranteed right

The Gambia - Guaranteed right

Georgia - Guaranteed right

Germany - Guaranteed right

Ghana - Guaranteed right

Grenada - Guaranteed right

Guinea - Guaranteed right

Guinea-Bissau - Guaranteed right

Guyana - Guaranteed right

Honduras - Guaranteed right

Hungary - Guaranteed right

Iceland - Guaranteed right

India - Guaranteed right

Iran - Guaranteed right

Iraq - Guaranteed right

Italy - Guaranteed right

Jamaica - Guaranteed right

Japan - Guaranteed right

Jordan - Guaranteed right

Kazakhstan - Guaranteed right

Kenya - Guaranteed right

Kiribati - Guaranteed right

Kyrgyzstan - Guaranteed right

Laos - Guaranteed right

Lesotho - Guaranteed right

Liberia - Guaranteed right

Lithuania - Guaranteed right

North Macedonia - Guaranteed right

Malawi - Guaranteed right

Malaysia - Guaranteed right

Maldives - Guaranteed right

Mali - Guaranteed right

Malta - Guaranteed right

Marshall Islands - Guaranteed right

Mauritania - Guaranteed right

Mauritius - Guaranteed right

Mexico - Guaranteed right

Micronesia, Federated States of - Guaranteed right

Moldova - Guaranteed right

Mongolia - Guaranteed right

Morocco - Guaranteed right

Mozambique - Guaranteed right

Myanmar - Guaranteed right

Namibia - Guaranteed right

Nepal - Guaranteed right

The Netherlands - Guaranteed right

New Zealand - Guaranteed right

Nicaragua - Guaranteed right

Niger - Guaranteed right

Nigeria - Guaranteed right

Oman - Guaranteed right

Palau - Guaranteed right

Panama - Guaranteed right

Papua New Guinea - Guaranteed right

Peru - Guaranteed right

Portugal - Guaranteed right

Romania - Guaranteed right

Russian Federation - Guaranteed right

Rwanda - Guaranteed right

Sao Tome and Principe - Guaranteed right

Senegal - Guaranteed right

Serbia - Guaranteed right

Sierra Leone - Guaranteed right

Singapore - Guaranteed right

Slovakia - Guaranteed right

Slovenia - Guaranteed right

Solomon Islands - Guaranteed right

Somalia - Guaranteed right

South Africa - Guaranteed right

South Sudan - Guaranteed right

Spain - Guaranteed right

Sri Lanka - Guaranteed right

St. Kitts and Nevis - Guaranteed right

St. Lucia - Guaranteed right

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Guaranteed right

Sudan - Guaranteed right

Suriname - Guaranteed right

Eswatini - Guaranteed right

Sweden - Guaranteed right

Switzerland - Guaranteed right

Tajikistan - Guaranteed right

Tanzania - Guaranteed right

Thailand - Guaranteed right

Timor-Leste - Guaranteed right

Togo - Guaranteed right

Trinidad and Tobago - Guaranteed right

Türkiye - Guaranteed right

Turkmenistan - Guaranteed right

Tuvalu - Guaranteed right

Uganda - Guaranteed right

Ukraine - Guaranteed right

United Kingdom - Guaranteed right

Uzbekistan - Guaranteed right

Vanuatu - Guaranteed right

Venezuela - Guaranteed right

Zambia - Guaranteed right

Zimbabwe - Guaranteed right