WORLD Policy Analysis Center

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

Map reflects policies in place as of August 2016. Updates of these data are currently in progress.

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

Zimbabwe - No guarantee

Dominica - No guarantee

Marshall Islands - No guarantee

Federated States of Micronesia - No guarantee

Monaco - No guarantee

Egypt - No guarantee

Morocco - No guarantee

Myanmar - No guarantee

Namibia - No guarantee

Ethiopia - No guarantee

Nauru - No guarantee

Nepal - No guarantee

Nigeria - No guarantee

Oman - No guarantee

Pakistan - No guarantee

Palau - No guarantee

Malaysia - No guarantee

Malawi - No guarantee

Qatar - No guarantee

Jordan - No guarantee

Indonesia - No guarantee

Haiti - No guarantee

Israel - No guarantee

Jamaica - No guarantee

Japan - No guarantee

Guatemala - No guarantee

Greenland - No guarantee

Liechtenstein - No guarantee

Kuwait - No guarantee

Laos - No guarantee

Lebanon - No guarantee

The Gambia - No guarantee

Lesotho - No guarantee

Libya - No guarantee

India - No guarantee

Papua New Guinea - No guarantee

Iceland - No guarantee

Trinidad and Tobago - No guarantee

Switzerland - No guarantee

Barbados - No guarantee

Bangladesh - No guarantee

Bahrain - No guarantee

Thailand - No guarantee

Tonga - No guarantee

Tunisia - No guarantee

Bhutan - No guarantee

Tuvalu - No guarantee

Uganda - No guarantee

United Arab Emirates - No guarantee

Uruguay - No guarantee

Vanuatu - No guarantee

Vietnam - No guarantee

Samoa - No guarantee

Eswatini - No guarantee

Bolivia - No guarantee

Saudi Arabia - No guarantee

Botswana - No guarantee

Sudan - No guarantee

San Marino - No guarantee

Brunei - No guarantee

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No guarantee

St. Kitts and Nevis - No guarantee

Sri Lanka - No guarantee

South Sudan - No guarantee

Suriname - No guarantee

Solomon Islands - No guarantee

Singapore - No guarantee

Sierra Leone - No guarantee

Iraq - General guarantee of equal pay

Panama - General guarantee of equal pay

Kenya - General guarantee of equal pay

Sao Tome and Principe - General guarantee of equal pay

Nicaragua - General guarantee of equal pay

Tajikistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Syria - General guarantee of equal pay

Rwanda - General guarantee of equal pay

Afghanistan - General guarantee of equal pay

Comoros - General guarantee of equal pay

Andorra - General guarantee of equal pay

Ghana - General guarantee of equal pay

Cuba - General guarantee of equal pay

China - General guarantee of equal pay

Angola - General guarantee of equal pay

Bosnia and Herzegovina - General guarantee of equal pay

Eritrea - General guarantee of equal pay

Equatorial Guinea - General guarantee of equal pay

Cabo Verde - General guarantee of equal pay

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

Chile - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Australia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Mozambique - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Belize - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

The Netherlands - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Belarus - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Finland - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Sweden - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Turkey - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Mongolia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Armenia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Croatia - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Yemen - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Guyana - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Venezuela - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

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

Grenada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Kiribati - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

United Kingdom - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Ukraine - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Argentina - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Canada - Broad prohibition of workplace discrimination based on age combined

Peru - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Central African Republic - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

The Philippines - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Senegal - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

- Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Romania - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Hungary - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Slovakia - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Cameroon - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Spain - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Burundi - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Burkina Faso - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Bulgaria - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

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

Belgium - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Tanzania - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Azerbaijan - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Antigua and Barbuda - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

United States of America - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Uzbekistan - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Zambia - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Iran - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Paraguay - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Republic of the Congo - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Gabon - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Malta - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Mali - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Costa Rica - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Estonia - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Fiji - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

North Macedonia - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Luxembourg - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

France - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Georgia - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Mexico - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Germany - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Kyrgyzstan - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Republic of Korea - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

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

Greece - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Kazakhstan - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Italy - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Honduras - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Mauritania - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Maldives - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Liberia - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Dominican Republic - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Norway - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

El Salvador - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Ecuador - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

New Zealand - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

Cyprus - Guarantees equal pay based on age combined

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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