The Gender Pay Gap in Europe: Where It Is Smallest and What It Means for Your Offer

What the EU-wide figure covers

In 2024, the unadjusted gender pay gap across the European Union was 11.1%, according to Eurostat. This figure measures the difference between the average gross hourly earnings of male and female employees as a percentage of men's average gross hourly earnings. It covers enterprises with 10 or more employees and does not adjust for differences in individual characteristics or job types - it gives an overall picture of earnings differences, not a direct measure of discrimination in the legal sense. In the euro area specifically, the gap stood at 11.4%.

The variation across EU member states was substantial: a spread of 19.6 percentage points separated the country with the lowest figure from the country with the highest.

Where the gap is smallest - and largest

Luxembourg recorded the lowest unadjusted gender pay gap in the EU in 2024, at -0.8%. A negative figure means women's average gross hourly earnings were higher than men's. Eurostat notes Luxembourg was the only EU country where this was the case in 2024, on an unadjusted basis.

Estonia recorded the highest gap at 18.8%.

For part-time workers, the spread was also wide in the countries where data was available: from -8.3% in Bulgaria to 23.8% in Slovenia. For full-time workers, the range ran from -8.1% in Belgium to 19.9% in Latvia. Eurostat notes that negative gaps in part-time work should be read in the context of the characteristics of those employees and the labour market.

Public sector vs. private sector

Where you work - public or private - is relevant context. In 2024, in all EU countries where Eurostat data was available, except Slovenia, the gender pay gap was higher in the private sector than in the public sector.

In the private sector, the gap ranged from 6.1% in Belgium to 21.8% in Portugal. In the public sector, the range ran from -3.5% in Cyprus to 17.4% in Czechia. Eurostat identifies one possible factor: in most EU countries, pay in the public sector is determined by transparent wage grids that apply equally to men and women.

How age shapes the gap

The gap is generally lower for new entrants into the labour market and tends to widen with age, according to Eurostat - though patterns differ across countries and age groups within the same country. In the under-25 group, Estonia and Lithuania recorded the largest gaps in 2024: 18.8% and 12.8% respectively. Eurostat notes this age-level breakdown is not available for all EU countries, so the picture is partial.

One factor Eurostat points to as potentially widening the gap over time: career interruptions that women experience more often than men during their working lives.

What to take into your next salary conversation

A few things the data points to directly:

Country sets the context. The EU average of 11.1% masks a 19.6 percentage-point spread between member states. The country where you are negotiating is a meaningful variable.

Sector is part of the equation. In the available data, the private sector consistently shows a wider gap than the public sector. If pay equity matters to you alongside the role itself, sector is worth factoring in.

Early career is not gap-free. Gaps are generally smaller for workers under 25, but Estonia and Lithuania show meaningful gaps even in that age group.

Pay transparency rules are arriving. The EU's Pay Transparency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/970) is currently being transposed into national law. It aims to strengthen the principle of equal pay for equal work through pay transparency standards and enforcement mechanisms.

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