Gender Pay Gap Across EU Member States
Difference in median earnings between men and women
The gender pay gap measures the difference between average gross hourly earnings of male and female employees, expressed as a percentage of male earnings. It reflects accumulated differences in occupational segregation, part-time work patterns, career breaks, and workplace discrimination. The EU's Pay Transparency Directive aims to narrow the gap by requiring employers to disclose pay data and justifying differences.
All 27 EU Member States Ranked
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What This Indicator Means
The gender pay gap in the EU averaged around 13% in 2023, but varies widely — from below 4% in Romania and Luxembourg to above 17% in Latvia and Estonia. The gap reflects multiple overlapping factors: occupational and sector segregation (women are concentrated in lower-paying sectors like care and education), part-time work patterns, career interruptions for caregiving, and direct wage discrimination.
The EU's Pay Transparency Directive, adopted in 2023, requires employers to disclose pay information and to act where a gap of more than 5% exists and cannot be objectively justified. This marks a significant strengthening of the EU's equal pay framework, moving from a formal right to equal pay toward active enforcement.
Closing the gender pay gap is not only an equity issue — it is an economic one. The European Institute for Gender Equality estimates that reducing gender inequality could add up to 9 percentage points to EU GDP by 2050 by increasing female labour market participation and productivity contribution.