H&M
Partly verifiedH&M raises serious concerns: there are reports of forced or child labour in its supply chain, and there are documented abuses of workers. In 2021 Jeyasre Kathiravel, a worker at H&M supplier Natchi Apparel in Dindigul, India, was murdered after reported sexual harassment by her supervisor; H&M then signed the binding Dindigul Agreement on gender-based violence in 2022 (British Safety Council India, 2022).
Last researched 7 October 2026
Not doing enough. Workers in the supply chain are likely underpaid, unprotected or in danger, and in the worst cases face forced or child labour. Look for a better-graded alternative. What this grade means
Good: 2 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 1 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 3
- Does not pay a living wage
- Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Instances of forced, slave or child labour
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China 30% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh 25% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| Türkiye 10% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| India 10% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | High |
| Vietnam 7% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Cambodia 6% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan 4% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | High |
| Portugal 2% | Strong protections | Below a living wage | Low |
| Morocco 1% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- Cotton is linked to forced labour (Xinjiang, Turkmenistan) and child labour in several growing regions.
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
- Actively empowers workers (ownership, worker committees, union agreements, training)
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
H&M publishes a supplier list updated quarterly, covering about 800 apparel factories in 23 countries, with China and Bangladesh the largest production markets; it does not disclose production volumes by country. It has union agreements with IndustriALL, takes part in the ACT living wage initiative and has signed the International Accord, but has no time-bound living wage target and publishes average wages only against minimum wages. It announced a phase-out of sourcing from Myanmar in August 2023, and its 2025 reporting and a 2026 analysis of its supplier list do not mention Myanmar.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Found | Scored 57 out of 100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, in the top fifth of brands assessed. View ↗ |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Found | Scored 71% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, one of the highest scores. View ↗ |
| KnowTheChain | Found | Scored 49 out of 100 in the 2023 KnowTheChain apparel and footwear benchmark. View ↗ |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Found | Scored 61.3 out of 100 in the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark. View ↗ |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Found | The 2025 H&M Group modern slavery statement covers H&M Australia. View ↗ |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Found | The 2025 H&M Group modern slavery statement covers its UK entities. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Found | Records 20 cases of abuse at H&M suppliers in Myanmar (2022-23) and H&M's responses, among other allegations. View ↗ |
| Open Supply Hub | Unclear | H&M publishes a quarterly list of its supplier factories, which can be mapped on Open Supply Hub. View ↗ |
Confirmed issues
Problems confirmed by a court, regulator, completed investigation or the company itself. Issues more than 15 years old, or 10–15 years old where the company made amends, are removed. Problems a company finds and publishes itself, and is fixing, are shown but don't count against it.
| When | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | H&M's own 2025 modern slavery statement reports 10 cases of workers paying recruitment fees at suppliers in 2025 and 8 in 2024, mainly small fees for medical checks or notary costs. | Not known |
| 2023 | The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre documented 20 cases of abuse at H&M suppliers in Myanmar between February 2022 and February 2023, including wage theft, unfair dismissal and forced overtime; H&M followed up and later said all but one were resolved (Al Jazeera, 2023; BHRRC, 2024). | Partly Says all but one case were resolved. |
| 2021 | In 2021 Jeyasre Kathiravel, a worker at H&M supplier Natchi Apparel in Dindigul, India, was murdered after reported sexual harassment by her supervisor; H&M then signed the binding Dindigul Agreement on gender-based violence in 2022 (British Safety Council India, 2022). | Yes Signed the binding Dindigul Agreement on gender-based violence in 2022. |
| 2019 | H&M's 2013 pledge of a fair living wage for 850,000 workers by 2018 was not met; the Clean Clothes Campaign found no evidence that any worker making its clothes was paid a living wage (Clean Clothes Campaign, 2019). | No No living wage shown across its supply chain. |
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.
- A 2020 think-tank report linked H&M to a Chinese yarn maker using Xinjiang labour transfers; H&M said it found no indication of forced labour but ended the indirect relationship and stopped Xinjiang cotton sourcing (The Local, 2020). Source ↗
- The Clean Clothes Campaign reported wage theft, higher production targets and harassment at H&M suppliers in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia during the pandemic; H&M said workers were paid according to local law. Source ↗
Sources (12)
- Supply chain (H&M Group) · archived copy · Quarterly supplier list; China and Bangladesh are the largest clothing production markets
- H&M's Evolving Apparel Sourcing Base, updated April 2026 (Sheng Lu Fashion) · archived copy · About 800 apparel factories in 23 countries; China 29.5% of factories; Türkiye, Portugal and Morocco in top ten; no Myanmar mention
- H&M Group Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · archived copy · Covers UK and Australian entities; 1,304 of about 1,400 factories assessed with third-party verification; recruitment fee cases; over 132,000 employees
- Wages (H&M Group) · archived copy · No time-bound living wage target; wage data compared with minimum wages; ACT and IndustriALL agreements
- H&M Group Annual and Sustainability Report 2025 press release · archived copy · 10-year Global Framework Agreement with IndustriALL
- International Accord signatories · archived copy · H&M is an International Accord signatory
- H&M probes alleged Myanmar factory abuses as pressure intensifies (Al Jazeera) · archived copy · 20 cases of abuse at H&M suppliers in Myanmar, Feb 2022 to Feb 2023
- H&M's response to allegations of abuses in Myanmar garment factories, February 2024 update (BHRRC) · archived copy · H&M phasing out Myanmar; all but one reported case resolved
- H&M says it will phase out sourcing from Myanmar (Fortune) · archived copy · August 2023 phase-out announcement; 39 factories and about 42,000 workers in Myanmar at that time
- H&M Group and Indian clothing company pledge to prevent sexual harassment in garment factories (British Safety Council India) · archived copy · Jeyasre Kathiravel case and 2022 Dindigul Agreement
- Not a single worker is making a living wage yet H&M claims to have done an amazing job (Clean Clothes Campaign) · archived copy · 2018 living wage commitment unmet
- H&M cuts ties with Chinese yarn producer over forced labour allegations (The Local) · archived copy · Xinjiang labour transfer allegation and H&M response, 2020
Last researched 7 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.