Gender income gap in Western Asia
Western Asia: Gender income gap was 42.72 in 2026. ▲ Rising
Gender income gap in Western Asia, 2004–2026
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2026, gender income gap in Western Asia stood at 42.72.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender income gap in Western Asia peaked at 47.27 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 32.62, in 2004.
That places Western Asia 65th out of 87 groups with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Gender income gap in Western Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 32.62 | — |
| 2005 | 33 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 33.56 | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 33.77 | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 35.25 | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 37.07 | +5.1% |
| 2010 | 37.33 | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 36.89 | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 38.52 | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 39.48 | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 39.08 | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 39.84 | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 40.92 | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 41.54 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 42.11 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 43.51 | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 44.32 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 44.93 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 47.27 | +5.2% |
| 2023 | 46.33 | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 44.44 | -4.1% |
| 2025 | 42.55 | -4.3% |
| 2026 | 42.72 | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.21 | 32.62 | 37.07 | 6 |
| 2010s | 39.92 | 36.89 | 43.51 | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.65 | 42.55 | 47.27 | 7 |
More gender data for Western Asia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 22,630 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.92 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 43.29 (2027)
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 428 (2026)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 17.6% (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 28.7% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, pregnant 33.1% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, non-pregnant 28.4% (2023)
- Proportion of women in managerial positions - 13th ICLS 20.5% (2025)
- Adjusted gender parity index for participation rate in organized 0.9947 ratio (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender income gap in Western Asia?
- Gender income gap in Western Asia was 42.72 in 2026, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest gender income gap recorded in Western Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 47.27 in 2022.
- What is the lowest gender income gap recorded in Western Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.62 in 2004.
- How does Western Asia rank for gender income gap?
- Western Asia ranks 65th out of 87 groups with data for 2026.
- Is gender income gap rising or falling in Western Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Asia 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.