Germany: Gender Pay Gap, by year
YearEarning difference,
in %
202318
202218
202118
202018
201919
201820
201720
201621
201522
201422
201322
201223
201122
201022
200923
200823
200723
200623
200522
200423
200323
200222
  • Region: Germany
  • Time period: 2002 to 2023
  • Published: Jan 2024

Data Analysis and Insights

Updated: Apr 12, 2024 | Published by: Statistico | About Us | Data sources

Stagnation in Gender Pay Gap Reduction

Germany witnessed no change in the gender pay gap between 2020 and 2023, consistently reporting an 18% difference in earnings between men and women. This period marks a halt in progress compared to previous years, where a gradual decrease was observed.

Decade-Long Slow Decline

Over the last decade, from 2013 to 2023, the gender pay gap in Germany decreased by only 4 percentage points, from 22% to 18%. This reflects a slow pace of change towards wage equality.

Initial Years of Higher Pay Gap Reduction

The years 2002 through 2005 and 2007 through 2009 were notable for a higher gender pay gap, oscillating between 22% and 23%. These periods highlight times of lesser progress in addressing wage disparities.

A Decade of Consistency before Stagnation

Between 2013 and 2022, the gender pay gap showed signs of steady, albeit slow, improvement, transitioning from a 22% difference to 18%. This consistent decrease before stagnation underlines the challenges in sustaining momentum towards closing the gap.

Largest Recorded Decrease

The most significant reduction in the gender pay gap occurred between 2015 and 2018, where it dropped from 22% to 20%. This 2 percentage point decrease represents the largest improvement within the dataset, indicating periods of more effective equality measures.

Initial and Ending Points of Analysis

The dataset spans from 2002 to 2023, showing an overall reduction in the gender pay gap from 23% to 18%. Over two decades, this 5 percentage point decrease highlights the long-term effort needed to combat wage inequality.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the gender pay gap change in Germany over the last decade?

From 2013 to 2023, the gender pay gap in Germany decreased only 4 percentage points, from 22% to 18%.

What periods experienced the highest gender pay gaps in Germany?

The highest gender pay gaps were witnessed from 2002 through 2005 and from 2007 through 2009, oscillating between 22% and 23%.

Terms and Definitions

Gender Pay Gap is the disparity between the income of men and women for performing similar jobs often expressed as a percentage. The larger the gap, the larger the disparity. This could be due to various factors including discrimination, societal norms, career choices, or work experience, among others.

Mean Gender Pay Gap is an indicator of the average pay differences between all men and women in an organization or geographical region. The Mean Gender Pay Gap can skew towards high earnings, making it less representative if there are many more men than women in the highest paid roles.

Median Gender Pay Gap is another measure of wage disparity. Instead of calculating the average, it considers the wage of the middle most person when all the salaries are lined from the highest to the lowest. This measure can better represent the typical pay gap and is not affected by the salaries of the extreme high earners.

Wage Discrimination refers to the unfair treatment of workers based on certain characteristics such as race, age, gender, or nationality, which results in different wage levels for the same or substantially similar work.

Equal Pay for Equal Work is a principle of labour rights that individuals doing the same job should receive the same remuneration, regardless of their gender, race, or other characteristics. It is often used as a benchmark when discussing gender pay gaps.

Unadjusted Gender Pay Gap refers to the gross differences in average hourly wages between men and women across an economy without accounting for factors like occupation, education, experience, and working hours.

Adjusted Gender Pay Gap is a measure of the wage difference between men and women that considers variables like occupation, education, experience, and hours worked. This measure reflects the wage disparity that cannot be explained by these characteristics and is often considered a more precise measure of direct wage discrimination.

The Glass Ceiling is a metaphor for the unseen yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements.