The cost of the EU pay gap - Women earn 3,900 euros less per year than men
The gender pay gap in the EU is real and, according to the figures, costly. Women's gross hourly earnings are on average 11.1% less than men's, according to Eurostat, meaning that for every €100 a man earns, a woman earns only €88.9.
The gap becomes clearer as the average woman is paid almost €3,900 less than men per year in the EU, according to estimates by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), based on Eurostat data. This means that the 92.5 million women working in the EU collectively lose out on more than €358 billion per year.
The EU Pay Transparency Directive covers businesses with at least 100 employees, so this estimate reflects that female workforce, which includes 43 million women.
Luxembourg is the only country in the EU where women are paid more than men, earning approximately €474 more per year. The average employed woman loses more than €5,000 per year in Finland (€7,592), Austria (€6,854), Germany (€6,049) and Sweden (€5,116), based on 2025 data.
The annual loss is also above the EU average (€3,881) in Estonia (€4,967), France (€4,536), the Czech Republic (€4,499) and Ireland (€4,129), all above the €4,000 level.
The estimated losses are €3,684 in the Netherlands, €3,487 in Slovakia, €3,405 in Cyprus, €3,181 in Hungary, €2,856 in Latvia, €2,591 in Greece, €2,404 in Lithuania, €2,245 in Slovenia and €2,005 in Spain.
The lowest amount is in Belgium, at just €322. It is also below the €1,000 threshold in Romania and Poland. Among the EU's Big Four, Italy has the lowest level, at €1,557.
The EU Pay Transparency Directive aims to increase pay transparency and address the gender pay gap. It was due to enter into force on 7 June 2026, but most member states missed the deadline.
ETUC estimates show that the impact would be significant, even a 10% smaller gap would make a big difference as the average employed woman would earn around 672 euros more per year.
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