Gender income gap in Western Europe
Western Europe: Gender income gap was 61.55 in 2026. ▲ Rising
Gender income gap in Western Europe, 2004–2026
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2026, gender income gap in Western Europe stood at 61.55.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender income gap in Western Europe peaked at 61.86 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 49.07, in 2007.
Western Europe ranks 24th of 87 groups on this measure, 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 Europe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 50.22 | — |
| 2005 | 50.8 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 50.93 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 49.07 | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 51.72 | +5.4% |
| 2009 | 53.24 | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 54.14 | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 54.62 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 55.35 | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 55.52 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 56.24 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 56.97 | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 57.96 | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 58.77 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 59.18 | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 60.17 | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 61.13 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 61.86 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 60.82 | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 61.62 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 61.55 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 61.59 | +0.1% |
| 2026 | 61.55 | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 51 | 49.07 | 53.24 | 6 |
| 2010s | 56.89 | 54.14 | 60.17 | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.45 | 60.82 | 61.86 | 7 |
More gender data for Western Europe
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 28,938 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.8714 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 41.37 (2027)
- Women of reproductive age 106.67 million (2023)
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 723 (2026)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 36.2% (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 14.2% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, pregnant 15.2% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, non-pregnant 14.2% (2023)
- Proportion of women in managerial positions - 13th ICLS 34.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender income gap in Western Europe?
- Gender income gap in Western Europe was 61.55 in 2026, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest gender income gap recorded in Western Europe?
- The highest recorded value was 61.86 in 2021.
- What is the lowest gender income gap recorded in Western Europe?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.07 in 2007.
- How does Western Europe rank for gender income gap?
- Western Europe ranks 24th out of 87 groups with data for 2026.
- Is gender income gap rising or falling in Western Europe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Europe 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.