Primark
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Dublin low-price retailer of clothing and homewares.
Primark is working towards a living wage but can't yet show workers are paid one, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no proof yet of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- 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 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: working towards one
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not 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 2
- Red flag: No proof yet that it pays a living wage (it's working towards one)
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Primark's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list. Its list covers only part of its range. 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 |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Pakistan | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Morocco | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| United Kingdom | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South Korea | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Ireland | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Italy | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Slovakia | Strong protections | Not rated | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety Source
- Modern slavery statement
- Public plan to pay a living wage within 5 years, or with measurable steps due within 5 years
- 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 Primark's products are made by independent suppliers. Its online Global Sourcing Map (updated November 2025) lists every first-tier factory, in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Pakistan, Slovakia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Türkiye, the UK and Vietnam; country shares are not published in text form. It signed the Bangladesh, International and Pakistan Accords, committed in 2021 to a living wage for clothing supply chain workers by 2030 and is piloting wage data collection in 32 factories. In 2025, 57% of its clothing contained organic, recycled or Primark Cotton Project cotton. Primark has no stores or delivery in Australia.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Scored 99.3 out of 250 (about 40%) in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index. View |
| KnowTheChain | Listed | Scored 46 out of 100 in the 2023 KnowTheChain apparel and footwear benchmark, down from 69 in 2021. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile records 25 response requests with a 100% response rate, many about Myanmar, Bangladesh and Türkiye supplier factories. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Publishes an annual modern slavery statement under the UK Modern Slavery Act; the latest covers 2025. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, which covers brands sold in Australia and New Zealand; Primark does not trade here. 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.
- In 2022 and 2023 workers at several Myanmar factories reported to supply Primark described forced overtime, intimidation, denied leave and pressured resignations; Primark responded to each report and stopped sourcing from Myanmar in October 2023 (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2024). Source
- A 2021 Sheffield Hallam University report, 'Laundering Cotton', named Primark among brands whose supply chains may include cotton from Xinjiang, where forced labour is widespread (Ecotextile News, 2021). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Primark - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · search the archive · FTI 2023 99.3/250; KnowTheChain 2023 46/100; 25 response requests, 100% response rate
- 35 global brands and retailers have now signed the Pakistan Accord (International Accord) · search the archive · Primark is a signatory of the International Accord's Pakistan Accord
- Primark switching to preferred materials and circular design (FashionUnited, Nov 2025) · search the archive · 57% of clothing had organic, recycled or Primark Cotton Project cotton; cotton a main fibre; 80,000+ staff
- Is famously stores-focused Primark preparing to sell online? (FashionNetwork, May 2026) · search the archive · Primark has no home delivery, only click and collect at its stores in Europe and the US; none in Australia
- Primark commits to sustainability strategy and living wage for clothing workers (BreakingNews.ie, 2021) · search the archive · Primark committed to a living wage for clothing supply chain workers by 2030
- Insights from Primark's progress report 2023/24 (Texspace Today) · search the archive · Living wage data pilot in 32 factories in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Türkiye
Published by Primark or its owner
- Primark Global Sourcing Map · search the archive · Factory list covering 15 sourcing countries; information last updated November 2025
Company details
- Owned by
- Associated British Foods plc
- Headquarters
- Ireland
- Employees
- About 80,000
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Primark ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/primark, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Primark.