LGBT employment discrimination

LGBTQ+ people are protected from employment discrimination in 62 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

62
Protected
62 regions (31%)
Protected
32
Some protections
32 regions (16%)
Some protections
94
No protections
94 regions (47%)
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
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
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
22%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
5 regions (22%)
Some protections
7 regions (30%)
No protections
8 regions (35%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
3 regions (13%)
Africa
7%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
4 regions (7%)
Some protections
8 regions (15%)
No protections
39 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 62 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 (5)
  45. Canada 2017
  46. Cuba 2013
  47. El Salvador
  48. Honduras 2013
  49. United States 2020
  50. Africa (4)
  51. Angola 2021
  52. Lesotho 2024
  53. Liberia 2015
  54. South Africa 1996
  55. Oceania (4)
  56. Australia 2013
  57. Marshall Islands 2019
  58. Samoa 2013
  59. Vanuatu 2013
  60. South America (8)
  61. Bolivia 2010
  62. Brazil 2019
  63. Chile 2012
  64. Colombia 2018
  65. Ecuador 2018
  66. Peru 2016
  67. Suriname 2015
  68. 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 28 regions.

  1. Asia (2)
  2. Philippines
  3. Singapore
  4. Europe (5)
  5. Austria 2004
  6. Latvia 2006
  7. Lithuania 2000
  8. Romania 2000
  9. San Marino 2019
  10. North America (7)
  11. Barbados 2020
  12. Belize
  13. Costa Rica 2016
  14. Jamaica 2004
  15. Mexico 2012
  16. Nicaragua
  17. Saint Lucia 2006
  18. Africa (8)
  19. Botswana 2010
  20. Cape Verde 2008
  21. Kenya 2022
  22. Mauritius 2008
  23. Mozambique 2007
  24. Namibia 2021
  25. Sao Tome and Principe 2019
  26. Seychelles 2006
  27. Oceania (5)
  28. Federated States of Micronesia
  29. Fiji 2007
  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 94 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 (9)
  34. Armenia
  35. Azerbaijan
  36. Belarus
  37. Liechtenstein
  38. Monaco
  39. Russia
  40. Switzerland
  41. Turkey 2018
  42. Vatican City
  43. North America (8)
  44. Bahamas
  45. Dominica
  46. Grenada
  47. Guatemala
  48. Haiti
  49. Panama 2018
  50. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  51. Trinidad and Tobago 2001
  52. Africa (39)
  53. Algeria
  54. Benin 1900
  55. Burundi
  56. Cameroon 1972
  57. Central African Republic 2003
  58. Chad 2018
  59. Comoros
  60. Côte d’Ivoire
  61. Democratic Republic of the Congo 1960
  62. Djibouti
  63. Egypt 1971
  64. Equatorial Guinea 1968
  65. Eritrea 1957
  66. Eswatini 1907
  67. Ethiopia
  68. Gabon
  69. Gambia
  70. Ghana
  71. Guinea 1988
  72. Guinea-Bissau
  73. Libya 1951
  74. Madagascar
  75. Malawi
  76. Mali
  77. Mauritania 1991
  78. Morocco
  79. Niger
  80. Nigeria
  81. Republic of the Congo
  82. Rwanda
  83. Senegal 1966
  84. Somalia 1962
  85. South Sudan 2011
  86. Sudan 1956
  87. Tanzania 1977
  88. Togo 1980
  89. Tunisia 1957
  90. Uganda
  91. Zambia
  92. Oceania (5)
  93. Nauru 2016
  94. Palau
  95. Papua New Guinea 2002
  96. Solomon Islands
  97. Tonga
  98. South America (2)
  99. Guyana 1980
  100. 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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