WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Does the constitution explicitly guarantee equality or non-discrimination across language?

Map reflects constitutions in place as of May 2017.

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

No specific provision means that the constitution does not explicitly mention the right to equality or non-discrimination based on language 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 language means the right to equality and/or non-discrimination is guaranteed for all citizens, but not specifically on the basis of language.

Aspirational provision means that the constitution protects the general right to equality and/or non-discrimination based on language 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 language.

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

Countries

Panama - No specific provision

Barbados - No specific provision

Denmark - No specific provision

Dominica - No specific provision

Mauritius - No specific provision

Saudi Arabia - No specific provision

Malta - No specific provision

Solomon Islands - No specific provision

Brunei - No specific provision

Botswana - No specific provision

Nauru - No specific provision

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No specific provision

New Zealand - No specific provision

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No specific provision

Antigua and Barbuda - No specific provision

Israel - No specific provision

Greenland - No specific provision

Australia - No specific provision

Kiribati - No specific provision

Grenada - No specific provision

Bahamas - No specific provision

Ireland - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Mozambique - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Montenegro - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Iraq - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Monaco - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Mexico - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Myanmar - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Namibia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Mauritania - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Malaysia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Jamaica - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Maldives - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Japan - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Madagascar - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

North Macedonia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Liechtenstein - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Lebanon - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Latvia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Laos - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Republic of Korea - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Luxembourg - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Afghanistan - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

The Netherlands - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Eswatini - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Yemen - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Vietnam - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Venezuela - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Uruguay - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

United States of America - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

United Arab Emirates - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Uganda - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Tuvalu - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Tunisia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Trinidad and Tobago - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Tonga - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Togo - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Tanzania - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

St. Lucia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Niger - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

St. Kitts and Nevis - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Spain - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Singapore - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

- Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Senegal - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Sao Tome and Principe - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

San Marino - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Poland - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

The Philippines - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Paraguay - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Papua New Guinea - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

India - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Pakistan - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Norway - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Indonesia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Liberia - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Iceland - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Cameroon - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

El Salvador - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Cuba - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Costa Rica - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Republic of the Congo - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Comoros - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Chile - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Chad - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Central African Republic - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Canada - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Bulgaria - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

France - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Brazil - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Benin - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Belize - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Belgium - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Belarus - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Bangladesh - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Argentina - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Andorra - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Algeria - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Equatorial Guinea - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

China - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Greece - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Haiti - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Ghana - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Guatemala - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Guinea-Bissau - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Gabon - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Honduras - Equality guaranteed, not specific to language

Sweden - Aspirational provision

Sierra Leone - Aspirational provision

South Sudan - Guaranteed right

Sudan - Guaranteed right

Bolivia - Guaranteed right

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Guaranteed right

Kazakhstan - Guaranteed right

Sri Lanka - Guaranteed right

Kenya - Guaranteed right

Somalia - Guaranteed right

South Africa - Guaranteed right

Bhutan - Guaranteed right

Burkina Faso - Guaranteed right

Slovenia - Guaranteed right

Slovakia - Guaranteed right

Burundi - Guaranteed right

Cambodia - Guaranteed right

Zambia - Guaranteed right

Serbia - Guaranteed right

Suriname - Guaranteed right

Vanuatu - Guaranteed right

Uzbekistan - Guaranteed right

Turkmenistan - Guaranteed right

Angola - Guaranteed right

Armenia - Guaranteed right

United Kingdom - Guaranteed right

Austria - Guaranteed right

Ukraine - Guaranteed right

Azerbaijan - Guaranteed right

Bahrain - Guaranteed right

Turkey - Guaranteed right

Switzerland - Guaranteed right

Guyana - Guaranteed right

Italy - Guaranteed right

Guinea - Guaranteed right

Timor-Leste - Guaranteed right

Thailand - Guaranteed right

Jordan - Guaranteed right

Iran - Guaranteed right

Syria - Guaranteed right

Tajikistan - Guaranteed right

Lithuania - Guaranteed right

Cabo Verde - Guaranteed right

Egypt - Guaranteed right

Czech Republic - Guaranteed right

Djibouti - Guaranteed right

Morocco - Guaranteed right

Dominican Republic - Guaranteed right

Mongolia - Guaranteed right

Ecuador - Guaranteed right

Moldova - Guaranteed right

Federated States of Micronesia - Guaranteed right

Albania - Guaranteed right

Lesotho - Guaranteed right

Libya - Guaranteed right

Marshall Islands - Guaranteed right

Eritrea - Guaranteed right

Mali - Guaranteed right

Estonia - Guaranteed right

Ethiopia - Guaranteed right

Malawi - Guaranteed right

Fiji - Guaranteed right

Finland - Guaranteed right

Cyprus - Guaranteed right

Nepal - Guaranteed right

Samoa - Guaranteed right

Hungary - Guaranteed right

Rwanda - Guaranteed right

Russian Federation - Guaranteed right

Romania - Guaranteed right

Qatar - Guaranteed right

Portugal - Guaranteed right

Kuwait - Guaranteed right

Kyrgyzstan - Guaranteed right

Peru - Guaranteed right

Colombia - Guaranteed right

Croatia - Guaranteed right

Germany - Guaranteed right

Palau - Guaranteed right

Democratic Republic of the Congo - Guaranteed right

Oman - Guaranteed right

Georgia - Guaranteed right

Nigeria - Guaranteed right

The Gambia - Guaranteed right

Nicaragua - Guaranteed right

Cote d'Ivoire - Guaranteed right

Zimbabwe - Guaranteed right