Press Release: Labour Rights Index 2026
Encouraging results in 4th Labour Rights Index suggest global progress toward access to decent work
Labour legislation has improved in most countries in the past two years
AMSTERDAM, 6 October 2026 - WageIndicator Foundation and the Centre for Labour Research publish the 4th Labour Rights Index, ahead of the World Day for Decent Work, observed yearly on October 7.
The Labour Rights Index looks at every aspect of the working lifespan of a worker and identifies the presence of labour rights, or their absence, in national legal systems worldwide. It has 10 indicators and 48 components or evaluation criteria, grounded in ILO standards. The scoring is based on an exhaustive analysis of thousands of pages of labour legislation.
The fourth iteration of this de jure index builds on the previous versions released in 2020, 2022 and 2024, providing objective legal data on labour laws in 168 countries, 23 more than 2024). It is the world’s most comprehensive one yet in terms of scope.
In this edition, findings show that nearly 50% of the world’s population lives in countries with de jure “reasonable access to work” (42 countries). Only 3.55%, - a small proportion of the world’s population - has “access to decent work”, the highest score possible (21 European countries). In 2026, there are still 13 countries, or 4.75% of the population, with total lack of access to decent work.
“ “In general, there’s a march toward the top rather than a race to the bottom. Legislation in most countries is improving, which suggests the legislature’s intent. Enforcement remains a separate problem, especially in lower-income countries, but the first step is having clear, loophole-free legislation that’s easy for workers, employers, and labour inspectors alike to understand. Not every employer has the resources to hire lawyers or HR staff to help them comply, so clarity matters.” ”
Iftikhar Ahmad, Lead Researcher for the Labour Rights Index.
Significant labour reforms
In the past two years (between 1 January 2024 and 1 January 2026), WageIndicator recorded 134 legal changes across 70 countries. Favourable score-changing reforms were recorded in Mali, India, Lebanon and 16 other countries.
Mali’s 2024 Penal Code introduced an express prohibition of sexual harassment. India brought four labour codes into force in November 2025, resulting in several improvements: employers must provide written appointment letters; women may work in all establishments and occupations, including at night with their consent and subject to safeguards; and pregnant and nursing workers receive stronger health protection. Lebanon introduced a statutory framework for part-time, remote, seasonal and compressed working arrangements, including a route for employees returning from maternity leave to move temporarily to part-time work with their employer’s agreement.
Twenty changes caused component scores to fall to 0 (the lowest score). Eleven resulted from countries not revising their minimum wages within the scoring window. The other nine resulted from legislative changes in eight countries: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, India, Lesotho, Madagascar and Tunisia. These score reductions should be interpreted component by component. Some reflected a clear weakening of protection, while others resulted from the revised law no longer meeting a specific Labour Rights Index threshold, even where other aspects of the law became more protective.
A new methodology for a new labour reality
Besides the addition of 23 new countries, the 2026 index methodology expanded its total components (“indicators”) from 46 to 48, reflecting the reality of labour demands.
For example, the new methodology features revised indicators around probationary periods, forced labour remediation, platform economy jobs, and maternity benefits.
For the “Forced Labour” indicator, simple prohibition is no longer sufficient. To get the maximum score (1), it requires the law to prohibit forced or compulsory labour, penalise its illegal exaction, permit no exceptions beyond those recognised in ILO standards, and give victims access to effective remedies, including compensation.
This stricter test has had a major effect: 68 of the 168 countries score 0, including 56 that received a score of 1 under the previous methodology. Cabo Verde and Vanuatu illustrate stronger approaches. Cabo Verde now requires the express consent of a convicted person before community work may be imposed, while Vanuatu combines a general prohibition with narrowly defined statutory exceptions. Brazil also requires prisoners’ express consent before they may work for private entities.
Regarding “Platform Economy”, the indicator has been redesigned after the adoption of the new ILO Convention 193 in June 2026. The earlier proxy, which examined social security coverage for self-employed workers, has been replaced by a classification test: a worker’s status must be determined mainly by the facts of the working relationship rather than the label used in the contract. Some 142 of the 168 jurisdictions reviewed have a legal route through which working reality can prevail over contractual classification. Spain’s Rider Law and Belgium’s platform-specific presumption of employment are relevant here. Uruguay’s legislation on delivery and passenger-transport platforms already closely mirrors the new ILO standard.
The index also has three new questions covering the topics of childcare services, the right to leave work in case of imminent danger, and social dialogue. For example, the question on childcare services broadens the indicator beyond leave and flexible working provisions, recognising that workers’ ability to reconcile employment and family responsibilities depends on legally supported childcare arrangements. A country may satisfy it through public provision, regulated private centres or a gender-neutral employer obligation. El Salvador’s 2024 reform illustrates the employer-supported route by allowing workers to select an Early Childhood Care Centre financed by their employer.
Whilst not new, the indicator on “Freedom of Association” remains the weakest globally. Comparisons with 2024 should be made cautiously, however, because the lower average partly reflects stricter benchmarks and the expansion of country coverage, rather than changes in national law alone.
Transparent labour market data accessible to all
WageIndicator created the Labour Rights Index to make labour law information accessible, comparable, and actionable. As a rigorous international qualification, it analyses and scores labour market regulations affecting more than 95% of the global labour force of 3.5 billion people.
The index can be a useful tool for companies too, as it identifies Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) risks in the legal framework. For each indicator, it maps the risk that a legal gap signals to the cross-cutting frameworks for which that indicator is most relevant: the UN Guiding Principles and the ILO Multinational Enterprises (MNE) Declaration; the OECD Guidelines; the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and the EU Forced Labour Regulation.
This year, the index has a more robust methodology, now more tightly linked to United Nations Human Rights Treaties, in addition to the International Labour Organisation conventions. For the first time, the index also draws upon the supervisory reports of ILO’s Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) and the Committee on Freedom of Association’s Digest of Decisions.