LGBT employment discrimination

LGBTQ+ people are protected from employment discrimination in 59 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

59
Protected
59 regions (30%)
Protected
31
Some protections
31 regions (16%)
Some protections
95
No protections
95 regions (48%)
No protections
13
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
13 regions (7%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
Europe
72%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
36 regions (72%)
Some protections
5 regions (10%)
No protections
9 regions (18%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
regions (0%)
Oceania
29%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
4 regions (29%)
Some protections
4 regions (29%)
No protections
5 regions (36%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
1 regions (7%)
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
22%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
5 regions (22%)
Some protections
6 regions (26%)
No protections
12 regions (52%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
regions (0%)
Africa
6%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
3 regions (6%)
Some protections
9 regions (17%)
No protections
37 regions (69%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
5 regions (9%)
Asia
7%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
3 regions (7%)
Some protections
5 regions (11%)
No protections
30 regions (68%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
6 regions (14%)

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 59 regions.

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

Gender identity only

LGBT employment discrimination is gender identity only in 3 regions.

  1. Asia (2)
  2. India 2020
  3. Pakistan 2018
  4. South America (1)
  5. Argentina 2021

Sexual orientation only

LGBT employment discrimination is sexual orientation only in 28 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. Philippines
  3. Singapore
  4. Timor-Leste 2017
  5. Europe (5)
  6. Austria 2004
  7. Latvia 2006
  8. Lithuania 2000
  9. Romania 2000
  10. San Marino 2019
  11. North America (6)
  12. Barbados 2020
  13. Belize
  14. Costa Rica 2016
  15. Mexico 2012
  16. Nicaragua 2008
  17. Saint Lucia 2006
  18. Africa (9)
  19. Angola 2021
  20. Botswana 2010
  21. Cape Verde 2008
  22. Equatorial Guinea 2022
  23. Mauritius 2008
  24. Mozambique 2007
  25. Sao Tome and Principe 2019
  26. Seychelles 2006
  27. Sierra Leone 2023
  28. Oceania (4)
  29. Federated States of Micronesia 2018
  30. Kiribati 2015
  31. New Zealand 1994
  32. Tuvalu 2017
  33. South America (1)
  34. Venezuela 2012

No protections

LGBT employment discrimination is no protections in 95 regions.

  1. Asia (30)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Bahrain
  4. Bangladesh
  5. Bhutan
  6. Cambodia
  7. China
  8. Indonesia
  9. Iran
  10. Iraq
  11. Jordan
  12. Kazakhstan
  13. Kuwait
  14. Kyrgyzstan
  15. Lebanon
  16. Malaysia
  17. Maldives
  18. Myanmar
  19. Nepal
  20. North Korea
  21. Oman
  22. Palestine
  23. Qatar
  24. Saudi Arabia
  25. Sri Lanka
  26. Syria
  27. Tajikistan
  28. Turkmenistan
  29. United Arab Emirates
  30. Uzbekistan
  31. Vietnam
  32. Europe (9)
  33. Armenia
  34. Azerbaijan
  35. Belarus
  36. Liechtenstein
  37. Monaco
  38. Russia
  39. Switzerland
  40. Turkey 2018
  41. Vatican City
  42. North America (12)
  43. Antigua and Barbuda
  44. Bahamas
  45. Dominica
  46. Dominican Republic 2021
  47. Grenada
  48. Guatemala
  49. Haiti
  50. Jamaica
  51. Panama
  52. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  53. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  54. Trinidad and Tobago
  55. Africa (37)
  56. Algeria
  57. Benin
  58. Burkina Faso
  59. Burundi
  60. Central African Republic
  61. Chad
  62. Comoros
  63. Côte d’Ivoire
  64. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  65. Djibouti
  66. Egypt
  67. Eritrea
  68. Ethiopia
  69. Gabon
  70. Gambia
  71. Ghana
  72. Guinea
  73. Kenya
  74. Libya
  75. Madagascar
  76. Malawi
  77. Mali
  78. Mauritania
  79. Morocco
  80. Namibia
  81. Niger
  82. Nigeria
  83. Rwanda
  84. Senegal
  85. Somalia
  86. South Sudan
  87. Sudan
  88. Togo
  89. Tunisia
  90. Uganda
  91. Zambia
  92. Zimbabwe
  93. Oceania (5)
  94. Nauru
  95. Palau
  96. Solomon Islands
  97. Tonga
  98. Vanuatu
  99. South America (2)
  100. Guyana
  101. Paraguay

Varied, unclear, or unknown laws

Data on lgbt employment discrimination is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 13 regions.

  1. Asia (6)
  2. Brunei
  3. Japan Varies by Region
  4. Laos
  5. South Korea Varies by Region
  6. Thailand
  7. Yemen
  8. Africa (5)
  9. Cameroon
  10. Eswatini
  11. Guinea-Bissau
  12. Republic of the Congo
  13. Tanzania
  14. Oceania (1)
  15. Papua New Guinea
  16. Antarctica (1)
  17. Antarctica N/A

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