Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
San Francisco brand selling casual denim, basics and kidswear.
Gap can't show that the workers who make its products in Vietnam and Indonesia earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
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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, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- 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.
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 Vietnam, Indonesia and China.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksUnconfirmed reports of forced labour are listed below. They don't affect 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 |
|---|---|
| Gives workers a real voice |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Gap's supplier list, which covers Gap and its sister brands. Gap publishes no breakdown of its own, so these are group-wide shares. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 35% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 24% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 15% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | 3% | 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 Source
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Actively empowers workers (ownership, worker committees, union agreements, training)
- 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 Gap clothing is made by independent suppliers shared across Gap Inc., which uses about 200 vendors in about 30 countries; Vietnam (about 27%) and Indonesia (about 21%) are the largest by purchase value, with no breakdown for the Gap brand. Gap Inc. publishes its factory list, has a Global Framework Agreement with a global union, signs the International Accord and Pakistan Accord, and says all Tier 1 factories are assessed yearly. It scored 45/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, unchanged from 2024, but has no public living wage target and publishes no wage figures.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Scored 45 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 45 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Gap Inc. scored 48% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, against a 26% average. View |
| KnowTheChain | Listed | Gap Inc. scored 43 out of 100 in the 2023 KnowTheChain apparel and footwear benchmark, against an average of 21. View |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Listed | Gap Inc. scored 37.5 out of 100 in the 2026 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Gap Inc.'s FY2025 modern slavery statement covers about 200 vendors in about 30 countries, with Vietnam about 27% and Indonesia about 21% of purchases. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Gap's company profile lists 25 response requests with a 96% response rate, including unpaid wages in Bangladesh and tariff cost pressure on suppliers. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- An Asia Floor Wage Alliance report on factories supplying Gap in Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka described poverty wages, forced overtime and short-term contracts (Clean Clothes Campaign, 2016). Source
- The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's 2020 'Uyghurs for Sale' report linked brands owned by Gap Inc. to factories using Uyghur workers transferred from Xinjiang (Shop Ethical!, 2020). Source
- The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre reported unpaid wages at the Modiste garment factory in Bangladesh's Chittagong Export Processing Zone; Gap said it ran only a small pilot there in 2023-24 and left over a year before. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- The Gap Inc. – Shop Ethical! (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Gap 45/100 (avg 31.5); FTI 2023 48%; KTC 2023 43; CHRB 2026 37.5; Accord; ASPI 2020 link; 98% certified cotton
- Gap Inc. publishes its supplier list (Ethical Trading Initiative) · search the archive · Gap Inc. publishes its supplier factory list
- Gap's response to unpaid wages at Modiste CEPZ garment factory – BHRRC · search the archive · Gap says it piloted small orders in late 2023 and early 2024 and exited over a year before the wage dispute
- Gap - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · search the archive · Gap has signed a Global Framework Agreement with a trade union; Fashion Checker found no evidence of living wages
Published by Gap or its owner
- Gap Inc. UK Modern Slavery Act statement (FY2025) · search the archive · About 200 vendors in about 30 countries; Vietnam ~27%, Indonesia ~21%; 100% Tier 1 assessed; Better Work/SLCP; International and Pakistan Accord
- Gap Inc. partners with Fashionata to launch Gap in Australia · search the archive · Gap sold in select Myer stores across Australia from 9 April 2026
- Gap Inc. ESG Report · search the archive · Cotton is Gap Inc.'s main fibre; all Tier 1 facilities assessed annually; RISE worker programme
Company details
- Owned by
- Gap Inc.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Gap ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/gap, last researched 3 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 Gap.