Key facts
- Women working in the EU collectively lose over €358 billion annually due to the gender pay gap.
- The average woman is paid almost €3,900 less than men per year in the EU.
- Women's gross hourly earnings are on average 11.1% less than men's.
- Luxembourg is the only EU country where women earn more than men.
- Most EU member states missed the 7 June 2026 deadline for the EU's Pay Transparency Directive.
Women working in the European Union are losing an estimated €358 billion annually due to the gender pay gap, which translates to nearly €3,900 per person. This significant financial disparity persists as several member states failed to meet the deadline for the bloc's Pay Transparency Directive.
According to Eurostat data, women's gross hourly earnings in the EU are, on average, 11.1% lower than men's. This means for every €100 a man earns, a woman earns €88.9. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) estimates that the 92.5 million women employed in the EU collectively lose over €358 billion each year.
"The cost of pay transparency measures are small for companies but this analysis shows that inaction by national governments will cost women workers billions in lost wages,” stated ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch. The Pay Transparency Directive, which covers businesses with at least 100 employees, aims to address this issue. However, most EU countries missed the 7 June 2026 deadline for its implementation.
Luxembourg stands out as the only EU country where women earn more than men, with an average annual gain of approximately €474. In contrast, countries like Finland, Austria, Germany, and Sweden show the highest annual losses for women, exceeding €5,000. Other countries with losses above the EU average include Estonia, France, Czechia, and Ireland.
ETUC estimates suggest that even a 10% reduction in the gender pay gap could lead to average annual gains of €672 for employed women. France and Ireland could see the highest gains, while Poland would experience the lowest due to its smaller existing gap. ETUC Deputy General Secretary Isabelle Schömann warned that governments avoiding their legal responsibilities regarding the directive could face legal action.