Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Discount supermarket whose Special Buys include clothing and footwear.
There's no proof ALDI pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced and child labour, last recorded in 2023) has been put right.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
- Checks its own supply chain. ALDI looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced and child labour in 2023 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Bangladesh and Vietnam.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings it isn't fixingIts own checks found child and forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade.
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From ALDI SOUTH Group's supplier list, which covers ALDI and its sister brands. ALDI publishes no breakdown of its own, so the countries shown are the group's. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Reports child labour cases found and fixed
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes ALDI's clothing and footwear Special Buys are made by independent suppliers; the ALDI SOUTH Group publishes addresses of its main garment, home textile and shoe factories, but no country breakdown is disclosed for Australia. Its statements highlight Bangladesh and China as key garment risks, and it has signed the Bangladesh, International and Pakistan Accords on factory safety. Factories in high-risk countries need a third-party social audit, and ALDI reports cases it finds and fixes. It supports living wage efforts but publishes no wage data or deadline, and scored 33/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, close to average.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Scored 33 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, close to the 31.5 average (32 in 2024). View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | ALDI South scored 34% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, above the 26% average. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | 2025 statement: 56 merchandise sourcing countries; garment and household textiles carry the most supply chain risks (underpayment, safety, unauthorised subcontracting); the 2023 statement reported one child labour case at a Chinese garment factory, remediated. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | ALDI South profile lists response requests on garment factory stories in Myanmar and Bangladesh; ALDI said it has no production ties in Myanmar. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ALDI's own monitoring found a 15-year-old working at a garment factory in China during school holidays, as reported in its 2023 modern slavery statement.Found and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | YesSite blocked until fixed; age-check training for managers via the Centre for Child Rights and Business; the child's living and school costs covered until age 16. |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Aldi Australia - Shop Ethical! · search the archive · Ethical Fashion Report 2026 score 33/100 (average 31.5); FTI 2023 34%; Accord signatory; partial supplier factory disclosure
Published by ALDI or its owner
- ALDI Australia Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · 2025: 56 sourcing countries; textiles carry most risks; Accord signatory since 2013; third-party audits; child labour rapid response; no wage data
- ALDI Australia Modern Slavery Statement 2023 · search the archive · 52 sourcing countries; Accord signatory incl. Pakistan Accord 2023; 15-year-old found at Chinese garment site, site blocked and remediated
- ALDI Australia Modern Slavery Statement 2021 · search the archive · Third-party audits required in high-risk countries; supplier evaluation covers apparel and shoes; living wage roadmap work
- Responsibly Sourced Textiles (ALDI Australia) · search the archive · ALDI SOUTH Group publishes addresses and worker numbers of main garment, home textile and shoe factories
- Modern Slavery & Human Rights (ALDI Australia) · search the archive · Third-party audits for high-risk factories; amfori Speak for Change grievance channel; supports living wage efforts
- ALDI Australia Modern Slavery Statement FY2019 · search the archive · Bangladesh and China named as main locations for social assessments; 40 Bangladesh garment factories in the Factory Advancement Project
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is ALDI ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/aldi, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded basics
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent ALDI.