Gender Pay Gap Calculator

Gender Pay Disparities Around the World

The gender pay gap remains a persistent global issue, with women often earning less than men for comparable work. This free wage gap comparison tool — the Gender Pay Gap Calculator — lets you instantly compare salaries by gender across dozens of countries, offering a clear picture of the gender pay gap by country. While nations like Iceland have enacted sweeping reforms to eliminate pay discrimination, the majority still report significant disparities.

Countries with the Smallest and Largest Gaps

Data from Eurostat, the OECD, and the Monster Salary Index reveal that the narrowest gaps are found in Italy (5.5 %), Luxembourg (5.5 %), and Romania (5.8 %), where women earn nearly as much as men. On the other end of the spectrum, South Korea (36.7 %), Estonia (26.9 %), and Japan (25.7 %) exhibit the widest pay gaps, underscoring that location and cultural norms heavily influence wage equality.

Root Causes of the Wage Gap

The gender pay gap is not driven by a single factor but by a combination of interrelated elements:

• Occupational stereotypes – certain fields are culturally coded as “male” or “female,” and the former tend to carry higher salaries.
• Racial and ethnic disparities – in the United States, for example, non‑Hispanic white and Asian‑American women still earn less than men of similar backgrounds, while within other groups the gap can be even larger.
• Age and experience – women typically earn about 90 % of men’s earnings until age 35; after that, their median income growth slows relative to men, widening the gap further.
• Career interruptions due to child‑rearing – mothers are more likely to take career breaks or work part‑time, affecting long‑term earning potential.
• Direct discrimination – even after accounting for all measurable factors, a portion of the wage gap remains unexplained, which labor economists attribute to discrimination.

These findings trace back to Gary Becker’s foundational 1957 work on the economics of discrimination, and the topic remains a core concern of labor economics.

Steps Women Can Take to Counter Pay Inequality

While systemic issues require societal change, individual strategies can improve outcomes:

1. Negotiate proactively – prepare a well‑researched case for your desired salary, focusing on achievements and market benchmarks.
2. Promote your accomplishments – avoid downplaying contributions; self‑advocacy can positively influence pay decisions.
3. Choose your career thoughtfully – decide based on your interests and skills rather than societal expectations, as some fields suffer from structural undervaluation.

Measures for Countries to Close the Gap

On a national level, the OECD’s Council on Gender Equality recommends:

• Encouraging women to enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
• Implementing family‑friendly policies such as affordable childcare and paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers.
• Ensuring women hold decision‑making roles in organizations.
• Strengthening anti‑discrimination laws and their enforcement.
• Reducing barriers for female entrepreneurs and improving access to finance.
• Promoting financial literacy programs tailored to women.

Global Gender Pay Gap Data

The following table compiles the most recent data from Eurostat, OECD, and the Monster Salary Index. Where multiple sources overlap, data from the more localized organization (e.g., Eurostat for European nations) was used.

Country	Pay Gap (%)	Data Year	Source
Austria	21.7	2015	Eurostat
Belgium	6.5	2015	Eurostat
Bulgaria	15.4	2015	Eurostat
Canada	18.2	2016	OECD
Chile	21.1	2015	OECD
Croatia	10.4	2014	Eurostat
Czech Republic	22.5	2015	Eurostat
Cyprus	14.0	2015	Eurostat
Denmark	15.1	2015	Eurostat
Estonia	26.9	2015	Eurostat
Finland	17.3	2015	Eurostat
France	15.8	2015	Eurostat
Germany	22.0	2015	Eurostat
Greece	15.0	2010	Eurostat
Hungary	13.9	2014	Eurostat
Iceland	14.9	2015	Eurostat
Ireland	13.9	2014	Eurostat
Israel	21.8	2011	OECD
Italy	5.5	2015	Eurostat
Japan	25.7	2015	OECD
Latvia	17.0	2015	Eurostat
Lithuania	14.2	2015	Eurostat
Luxembourg	5.5	2015	Eurostat
Malta	10.6	2014	Eurostat
Mexico	16.5	2016	OECD
Netherlands	16.1	2015	Eurostat
New Zealand	7.8	2016	OECD
Norway	14.9	2015	Eurostat
Poland	7.7	2015	Eurostat
Portugal	17.8	2015	Eurostat
Romania	5.8	2015	Eurostat
Slovakia	19.6	2015	Eurostat
Slovenia	8.1	2015	Eurostat
South Korea	36.7	2016	OECD
Spain	14.9	2015	Eurostat
Sweden	14.0	2015	Eurostat
Switzerland	17.7	2015	Eurostat
Turkey	6.9	2014	OECD
United Kingdom	20.8	2015	Eurostat
United States	18.1	2016	OECD

Note: The pay gap percentage represents how much less women earn compared to men, on average, in gross hourly earnings.