Gender income gap in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Gender income gap was 47.17 in 2026. ▬ Flat
Gender income gap in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2004–2026
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2026, gender income gap in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 47.17. 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 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender income gap in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 47.17 in 2026 and was at its lowest, 45.21, in 2004.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 54th out of 87 groups with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
Gender income gap in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 45.21 | — |
| 2005 | 45.27 | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 45.51 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 45.69 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 45.85 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 45.84 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 46.05 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 46.17 | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 46.27 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 46.67 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 46.64 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 46.55 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 46.42 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 46.37 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 45.99 | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 45.79 | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 46.76 | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 45.34 | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 45.58 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 46.59 | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 46.91 | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 47.05 | +0.3% |
| 2026 | 47.17 | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 45.56 | 45.21 | 45.85 | 6 |
| 2010s | 46.29 | 45.79 | 46.67 | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.49 | 45.34 | 47.17 | 7 |
More gender data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 552,879 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.42 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 29.77 (2027)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), per capita 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female 247.09 million (2025)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.187 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), per unit of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Labor force, female, annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Labor force, female, per square kilometre 9.83 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender income gap in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Gender income gap in Sub-Saharan Africa was 47.17 in 2026, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest gender income gap recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 47.17 in 2026.
- What is the lowest gender income gap recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.21 in 2004.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for gender income gap?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 54th out of 87 groups with data for 2026.
- Is gender income gap rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan 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.