LGBT employment discrimination

LGBTQ+ people are protected from employment discrimination in 63 countries.

DATE

LGBT employment discrimination

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity in employment, including hiring, promotion, termination, harassment, etc.

Summary

63
Protected
63 regions (32%)
Protected
33
Some protections
33 regions (17%)
Some protections
91
No protections
91 regions (46%)
No protections
10
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
10 regions (5%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
Europe
72%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
36 regions (72%)
Some protections
6 regions (12%)
No protections
8 regions (16%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
regions (0%)
Oceania
29%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
4 regions (29%)
Some protections
5 regions (36%)
No protections
5 regions (36%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
regions (0%)
South America
67%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
8 regions (67%)
Some protections
2 regions (17%)
No protections
2 regions (17%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
regions (0%)
North America
26%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
6 regions (26%)
Some protections
7 regions (30%)
No protections
7 regions (30%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
3 regions (13%)
Africa
8%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
4 regions (8%)
Some protections
8 regions (15%)
No protections
38 regions (72%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
3 regions (6%)
Asia
11%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
5 regions (11%)
Some protections
5 regions (11%)
No protections
31 regions (71%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
3 regions (7%)

Timeline of lgbt employment discrimination

Number of countries to ban lgbtq+ employment discrimination over the past 61 years.

Recent Changes

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

LGBT employment discrimination by Country

Sexual orientation and gender identity

LGBT employment discrimination is sexual orientation and gender identity in 63 regions.

  1. Asia (5)
  2. Israel 2015
  3. Kazakhstan 2015
  4. Mongolia 1992
  5. Taiwan 2007
  6. Thailand 2015
  7. Europe (36)
  8. Albania 2010
  9. Andorra 2019
  10. Belgium 2003
  11. Bosnia and Herzegovina 2016
  12. Bulgaria 2003
  13. Croatia 2009
  14. Cyprus 2014
  15. Czech Republic 2009
  16. Denmark 1996
  17. Estonia 2009
  18. Finland 2004
  19. France 2012
  20. Georgia 2014
  21. Germany 2006
  22. Greece 2016
  23. Hungary 1998
  24. Iceland 1996
  25. Ireland 1999
  26. Italy 2023
  27. Kosovo 2015
  28. Luxembourg 2006
  29. Malta 2004
  30. Moldova 2023
  31. Montenegro 2010
  32. Netherlands 1993
  33. North Macedonia 2020
  34. Norway 1981
  35. Poland 2022
  36. Portugal 2015
  37. Serbia 2009
  38. Slovakia 2004
  39. Slovenia 2016
  40. Spain 2022
  41. Sweden 1999
  42. Ukraine 2015
  43. United Kingdom 2010
  44. North America (6)
  45. Canada 2017
  46. Cuba 2013
  47. El Salvador
  48. Grenada
  49. Honduras 2013
  50. United States 2020
  51. Africa (4)
  52. Angola 2021
  53. Lesotho 2024
  54. Liberia 2015
  55. South Africa 1996
  56. Oceania (4)
  57. Australia 2013
  58. Marshall Islands 2019
  59. Samoa 2013
  60. Vanuatu 2013
  61. South America (8)
  62. Bolivia 2010
  63. Brazil 2019
  64. Chile 2012
  65. Colombia 2018
  66. Ecuador 2018
  67. Peru 2016
  68. Suriname 2015
  69. Uruguay 2004

Gender identity only

LGBT employment discrimination is gender identity only in 4 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. India 2020
  3. Pakistan 1973
  4. Turkmenistan 2009
  5. South America (1)
  6. Argentina 2021

Sexual orientation only

LGBT employment discrimination is sexual orientation only in 29 regions.

  1. Asia (2)
  2. Philippines
  3. Singapore
  4. Europe (6)
  5. Austria 2004
  6. Latvia 2006
  7. Lithuania 2000
  8. Romania 2000
  9. San Marino 2019
  10. Turkey 2018
  11. North America (7)
  12. Barbados 2020
  13. Belize
  14. Costa Rica 2016
  15. Jamaica 2004
  16. Mexico 2012
  17. Nicaragua
  18. Saint Lucia 2006
  19. Africa (8)
  20. Botswana 2010
  21. Cape Verde 2008
  22. Kenya 2022
  23. Mauritius 2008
  24. Mozambique 2007
  25. Namibia 2021
  26. Sao Tome and Principe 2019
  27. Seychelles 2006
  28. Oceania (5)
  29. Federated States of Micronesia
  30. Fiji 2007
  31. Kiribati 2015
  32. New Zealand 1994
  33. Tuvalu 2017
  34. South America (1)
  35. Venezuela 2012

No protections

LGBT employment discrimination is no protections in 91 regions.

  1. Asia (31)
  2. Bahrain 1976
  3. Bangladesh
  4. Bhutan
  5. Brunei 1951
  6. Cambodia
  7. China
  8. Indonesia
  9. Iran 1979
  10. Iraq
  11. Jordan 1952
  12. Kuwait
  13. Kyrgyzstan
  14. Laos 1953
  15. Lebanon
  16. Malaysia
  17. Maldives 2017
  18. Myanmar 1886
  19. Nepal
  20. North Korea
  21. Oman
  22. Palestine
  23. Qatar 1915
  24. Saudi Arabia 1932
  25. Sri Lanka
  26. Syria
  27. Tajikistan 1994
  28. Timor-Leste
  29. United Arab Emirates 1971
  30. Uzbekistan 1992
  31. Vietnam 1992
  32. Yemen 1994
  33. Europe (8)
  34. Armenia
  35. Azerbaijan
  36. Belarus
  37. Liechtenstein
  38. Monaco
  39. Russia
  40. Switzerland
  41. Vatican City
  42. North America (7)
  43. Bahamas
  44. Dominica
  45. Guatemala
  46. Haiti
  47. Panama 2018
  48. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  49. Trinidad and Tobago 2001
  50. Africa (38)
  51. Algeria
  52. Benin 1900
  53. Burundi
  54. Cameroon 1972
  55. Central African Republic 2003
  56. Chad 2018
  57. Comoros
  58. Côte d’Ivoire
  59. Democratic Republic of the Congo 1960
  60. Djibouti
  61. Egypt 1971
  62. Equatorial Guinea 1968
  63. Eritrea 1957
  64. Eswatini 1907
  65. Ethiopia
  66. Gabon
  67. Gambia
  68. Ghana
  69. Guinea 1988
  70. Guinea-Bissau
  71. Libya 1951
  72. Madagascar
  73. Malawi
  74. Mauritania 1991
  75. Morocco
  76. Niger
  77. Nigeria
  78. Republic of the Congo
  79. Rwanda
  80. Senegal 1966
  81. Somalia 1962
  82. South Sudan 2011
  83. Sudan 1956
  84. Tanzania 1977
  85. Togo 1980
  86. Tunisia 1957
  87. Uganda
  88. Zambia
  89. Oceania (5)
  90. Nauru 2016
  91. Palau
  92. Papua New Guinea 2002
  93. Solomon Islands
  94. Tonga
  95. South America (2)
  96. Guyana 1980
  97. Paraguay 1992

Varied, unclear, or unknown laws

Data on lgbt employment discrimination is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 10 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Japan Varies by Region
  4. South Korea Varies by Region
  5. North America (3)
  6. Antigua and Barbuda
  7. Dominican Republic Ambiguous
  8. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ambiguous
  9. Africa (3)
  10. Burkina Faso
  11. Sierra Leone Ambiguous
  12. Zimbabwe Ambiguous
  13. Antarctica (1)
  14. Antarctica N/A

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