We know that LGBTI discrimination is not just a personal problem, it is an economic development challenge. Discrimination is not only inherently unjust, but “there are substantial costs—social, political, and economic—to not addressing the exclusion of entire groups of people.” LGBTI inclusion is therefore, not only the right thing to do, it also makes economic sense.

So, understanding the barriers that LGBTI people face in accessing markets, services, and spaces is important for designing more inclusive policies and programs that reduce poverty and promote inclusive growth.

Yet, robust data that quantifies and details the nature of and extent of LGBTI discrimination is scarce in most countries. Collecting data on LGBTI people can also be challenging, especially in establishing robust comparisons to non-LGBTI people.

To fill this gap, the Bank has conducted a series of “mystery shopping” experiments to determine the extent of discrimination.

Mystery shopping is not new – it’s been a useful, systematic and scientific means of proving discrimination on grounds of race, sex, ethnicity and religious affiliation for many decades. Topics such as access to employment, housing, and credit and consumer markets have been studied around the world using this method. Mystery shopping offers researchers and policymakers an innovative and simple yet effective way to quantify the development challenges posed by LGBTI discrimination.

The latest Bank report, Discrimination Against Sexual Minorities in Education and Housing: Evidence from Two Field Experiments in Serbia, documents, for the first time, experimental evidence of discrimination against LGBTI people in access to education and housing in Serbia. Read more via World Bank