Women in Germany still earn much less than men

Women in Germany have once again earned significantly less than men this year, the Federal Statistical Office reported on Tuesday.

They earned €22.81 per hour ($26.82), which is €4.24 less than men, meaning the wage gap remained unchanged at 16%.

In 2024, this figure had shrunk by 2 percentage points compared to the previous year. In 2006, the gender pay gap was still 23%.

The statistics office attributes almost two-thirds of the pay gap to higher part-time employment rates among women and lower salaries in occupations typically held by women.

This leaves an adjusted gender pay gap of €1.71, or around 6% of gross hourly wages, without a clear explanation. This figure remained unchanged in 2025.

Even with comparable jobs, qualifications and employment histories, women earned 6% less than men, who earned an hourly wage of €27.05. The agency suspects that career breaks, for example due to pregnancy, childcare or caring for relatives, play a role here, but these are not recorded in detail.

The office said it believes the 6% represents an upper limit for possible earnings discrimination by employers.

The unadjusted gender pay gap is significantly lower in eastern Germany at 5% than in the west, where it is 17%.

In line with European statistical standards, the sectors of agriculture, forestry and fishing, as well as public administration, defence and social security, are excluded from the calculations.

In particular in the public sector, the gender pay gap is significantly smaller at 4%. If this sector were included, the unadjusted pay gap would fall to 15% nationwide.