Indian employees have reported the lowest level of perceived pay unfairness globally, according to a new report by human capital management company ADP. Only 11% of workers in India said they felt unfairly compensated — the lowest figure among the 34 markets surveyed.
The global study found that perceptions of fair pay are improving overall, with the proportion of employees who believe they are underpaid declining from 31% to 27% year-on-year. However, the report highlighted considerable disparities across countries, with South Korea (45%) and Sweden (39%) recording the highest levels of dissatisfaction.
The study also drew attention to persistent gender pay gaps. In 15 of the 34 markets, more than 30% of women said they were unfairly paid, compared with only five markets where similar levels of dissatisfaction were expressed by men.
Interestingly, India stood out as one of the few countries where a higher percentage of men (12%) than women (9%) felt they were paid unfairly. The perception of pay unfairness in India also decreased with age — from 13% among employees aged 18–26 to 5% among those aged 55 and above, bucking the global trend.
“Fair pay is more than a compensation conversation; it is a trust conversation. When employees believe they are paid fairly, they are more engaged, motivated, and loyal,” said Rahul Goyal, Managing Director, ADP India and Southeast Asia.
The report said India’s leading position reflects progress in equitable pay practices, though it noted that fairness should extend beyond salary to include opportunities, growth, and recognition.
In a related development, global payroll and compliance platform Deel reported in October that median salaries for men and women in India are nearly equal, ranging from $13,000 to $23,000 annually — suggesting growing pay equity supported by data-driven compensation models.
(IANS)