EU countries by gender pay gap (unadjusted)

Estonia had the highest gender pay gap (unadjusted) of 26 EU countries in 2017, at 24.9%. Luxembourg had the lowest, at 2.6%. The median was 14.4% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 14.6%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest24.9Estonia
Lowest2.6Luxembourg
Median14.426 EU countries
European Union (27)14.6History

Map of EU countries, 2017

Austria: 20.7 %Belgium: 5.8 %Bulgaria: 14.3 %Cyprus: 11.2 %Czechia: 21.1 %Germany: 20.4 %Denmark: 14.8 %Estonia: 24.9 %Spain: 13.5 %Finland: 17.1 %France: 16.3 %Croatia: 12.3 %Hungary: 15.9 %Ireland: 14.4 %Italy: 5 %Lithuania: 15.2 %Luxembourg: 2.6 %Latvia: 19.8 %Malta: 13.2 %Netherlands: 15.1 %Poland: 7 %Portugal: 10.8 %Romania: 2.9 %Sweden: 12.5 %Slovenia: 8.4 %Slovakia: 20.1 %
  • Under 8.4
  • 8.4 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 to 20
  • 20 and over
  • No data
%, 2017. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: Eurostat, Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn_gr_gpgr2). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2017

Estonia: 24.9 %Estonia24.9Czechia: 21.1 %Czechia21.1Austria: 20.7 %Austria20.7Germany: 20.4 %Germany20.4Slovakia: 20.1 %Slovakia20.1Latvia: 19.8 %Latvia19.8Finland: 17.1 %Finland17.1France: 16.3 %France16.3Hungary: 15.9 %Hungary15.9Lithuania: 15.2 %Lithuania15.2Netherlands: 15.1 %Netherlands15.1Denmark: 14.8 %Denmark14.8Ireland: 14.4 %Ireland14.4Bulgaria: 14.3 %Bulgaria14.3Spain: 13.5 %Spain13.5Malta: 13.2 %Malta13.2Sweden: 12.5 %Sweden12.5Croatia: 12.3 %Croatia12.3Cyprus: 11.2 %Cyprus11.2Portugal: 10.8 %Portugal10.8Slovenia: 8.4 %Slovenia8.4Poland: 7 %Poland7Belgium: 5.8 %Belgium5.8Italy: 5 %Italy5Romania: 2.9 %Romania2.9Luxembourg: 2.6 %Luxembourg2.6Estonia: 24.9 %Estonia24.9Czechia: 21.1 %Czechia21.1Austria: 20.7 %Austria20.7Germany: 20.4 %Germany20.4Slovakia: 20.1 %Slovakia20.1Latvia: 19.8 %Latvia19.8Finland: 17.1 %Finland17.1France: 16.3 %France16.3Hungary: 15.9 %Hungary15.9Lithuania: 15.2 %Lithuania15.2Netherlands: 15.1 %Netherlands15.1Denmark: 14.8 %Denmark14.8Ireland: 14.4 %Ireland14.4Bulgaria: 14.3 %Bulgaria14.3Spain: 13.5 %Spain13.5Malta: 13.2 %Malta13.2Sweden: 12.5 %Sweden12.5Croatia: 12.3 %Croatia12.3Cyprus: 11.2 %Cyprus11.2Portugal: 10.8 %Portugal10.8Slovenia: 8.4 %Slovenia8.4Poland: 7 %Poland7Belgium: 5.8 %Belgium5.8Italy: 5 %Italy5Romania: 2.9 %Romania2.9Luxembourg: 2.6 %Luxembourg2.6
%. Source: Eurostat, Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn_gr_gpgr2). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Estonia24.9+0.1 pts
2Czechia21.1-0.4 pts
3Austria20.7-0.1 pts
4Germany20.4-0.7 pts
5Slovakia20.1+0.9 pts
6Latvia19.8+0.1 pts
7Finland17.1-0.4 pts
8France16.3+0.4 pts
9Hungary Series break15.9+1.9 pts
10Lithuania15.2+0.8 pts
11Netherlands15.1-0.5 pts
12Denmark14.8-0.3 pts
13Ireland Provisional14.4+0.2 pts
14Bulgaria14.3-0.3 pts
15Spain13.5-1.3 pts
16Malta13.2+1.6 pts
17Sweden12.5-0.8 pts
18Croatia12.3+0.7 pts
19Cyprus11.2-1.1 pts
20Portugal10.8-3.1 pts
21Slovenia8.4+0.3 pts
22Poland7-0.1 pts
23Belgium5.8-0.2 pts
24Italy Provisional5-0.3 pts
25Romania Estimated2.9-1.9 pts
26Luxembourg2.6-1.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Difference between the average gross hourly earnings of men and of women, as a percentage of men's average gross hourly earnings. Employees in enterprises with 10 or more employees, in industry, construction and services except public administration and defence (NACE Rev. 2 B to S without O).

Unadjusted: it compares averages for all women and all men and does not account for differences in occupation, sector, hours or experience. A negative value means women earn more per hour on average. Built from the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), with national estimates for the years in between; the latest year is usually provisional.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. 1 EU countries with data in other periods have no value for 2017 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn_gr_gpgr2). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/earn_gr_gpgr2/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Eurostat, European Commission. (2026). Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn_gr_gpgr2) (EU countries by gender pay gap (unadjusted), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/earn_gr_gpgr2/default/table

MLA 9

Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn_gr_gpgr2), EU countries by gender pay gap (unadjusted), 2017. Eurostat, European Commission, 26 Feb. 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/earn_gr_gpgr2/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/gender-pay-gap/eu-countries?period=2017. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn_gr_gpgr2). EU countries by gender pay gap (unadjusted), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/earn_gr_gpgr2/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/gender-pay-gap/eu-countries?period=2017.

Harvard

Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn_gr_gpgr2), EU countries by gender pay gap (unadjusted), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/earn_gr_gpgr2/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/gender-pay-gap/eu-countries?period=2017 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_gender_2017,
  author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
  title = {{Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn\_gr\_gpgr2): EU countries by gender pay gap (unadjusted), 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/earn_gr_gpgr2/default/table},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/gender-pay-gap/eu-countries?period=2017. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn\_gr\_gpgr2). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/earn\_gr\_gpgr2/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Eurostat, European Commission
TI  - Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn_gr_gpgr2): EU countries by gender pay gap (unadjusted), 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/26
PB  - Eurostat, European Commission
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/earn_gr_gpgr2/default/table
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/gender-pay-gap/eu-countries?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/gender-pay-gap/eu-countries?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn_gr_gpgr2). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/earn_gr_gpgr2/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest gender pay gap (unadjusted)?

Estonia, with 24.9% in 2017, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest gender pay gap (unadjusted)?

Luxembourg, with 2.6% in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Gender pay gap in unadjusted form, industry, construction and services except public administration (earn_gr_gpgr2). Retrieved 2026-10-18. 1 EU countries have no value for 2017 and are not ranked.

EU countries: more rankings