Gender income gap in Africa
Africa: Gender income gap was 37.68 in 2026. ▬ Flat
Gender income gap in Africa, 2004–2026
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2026, gender income gap in Africa stood at 37.68. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender income gap in Africa peaked at 37.68 in 2026 and was at its lowest, 34.15, in 2019.
That places Africa 69th out of 87 groups with data for 2026, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Gender income gap in Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 34.18 | — |
| 2005 | 34.9 | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 35.36 | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 35.99 | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 36.02 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 36.11 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 36.41 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 36.45 | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 36.93 | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 37.02 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 36.95 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 36.66 | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 36.11 | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 36.06 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 35.86 | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 34.15 | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 34.24 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 34.41 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 34.7 | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 36.25 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | 37.43 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | 37.61 | +0.5% |
| 2026 | 37.68 | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.43 | 34.18 | 36.11 | 6 |
| 2010s | 36.26 | 34.15 | 37.02 | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.05 | 34.24 | 37.68 | 7 |
More gender data for Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 639,604 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.18 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 35.2 (2027)
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 2,719 (2026)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 25.9% (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 35.9% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, pregnant 42.5% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, non-pregnant 35.3% (2023)
- Proportion of women in managerial positions - 13th ICLS 40.3% (2025)
- Ratio for female members of parliaments (Ratio of the proportion of) 0.5% (2026)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender income gap in Africa?
- Gender income gap in Africa was 37.68 in 2026, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest gender income gap recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 37.68 in 2026.
- What is the lowest gender income gap recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.15 in 2019.
- How does Africa rank for gender income gap?
- Africa ranks 69th out of 87 groups with data for 2026.
- Is gender income gap rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Gender income gap (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. The gender income gap, expressed as a percentage, is calculated as the ratio of women's total labour income to men's total labour income. This indicator reflects gender disparities in work earnings. For example, a value of less than 100 indicates that women earn less than men, with 100 implying parity between men and women. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.