The Gender Pay Gap in Europe

gender pay gap
gender pay gap

Attention: European women – you can start putting your feet up!

The gender pay gap is one of the most contentious topics in the work place today. It’s no secret that men are generally paid more than women, and the debate has created such noise that April 14th is now known as ‘Equal Pay Day’ in protest.

Yet just how better off are men?

Using the latest EU data, as well as a selection of European studies into the gender pay gap, Expert Market has visualised the disparity in pay between men and women across Europe.

Using the average earnings of women in each country (as a percentage of men’s earnings), we have calculated the date at which women effectively start working for free in countries across Europe.

gender pay gap in europe

Women working for free

Taking the above data, we can work out that on average Women are earning almost 17% less than Men across Europe. Obviously this is a depressingly high figure, yet within the data we can see a wide disparity between the biggest and smallest pay gaps.

While Bosnian women earn 46% less than their male counterparts, barely a few hundred kilometers north, Slovenian women are earning just 3.20% less than men – the lowest gender pay gap across Europe.

While this may appear to be a cause of celebration, the fact remains that women still earn less than men in every country across Europe. The gender pay gap is still alive and the latest research shows that it might not be closed until 2069.

Final Thoughts

As the 21st century marches on, our economical and familial structures continues to change and has led to more women in the workforce than ever before. Yet, wages still fall behind opportunities, which has led to such shocking pay gaps across Europe. Surely, it is in society’s best interest to pay men and women equally. The only question left is, why is taking so long?

Gender Pay Gap In Europe Data

Written by:
Rob Binns
Rob writes mainly about the payments industry, but also brings to the table industry-specific knowledge of CRM software, business loans, fulfilment, and invoice finance. When not exasperating his editor with bad puns, he can be found relaxing in a sunny (socially-distanced) corner, with a beer and a battered copy of Dostoevsky.
Reviewed by:
Heleana Neil, Business Services editor
Heleana Neil specialises in Business Services, managing the strategy and production of content for SMBs, helping businesses with the challenges and opportunities they face today. Covering everything from payroll to payment processing, Heleana uses her expertise to help business owners make better, informed decisions and grow their companies.