What is the gender pay gap and how is it measured?

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1. 1

   Gender pay gap (Wikipedia)

   WikipediaPublished Oct 10, 2026Checked Oct 10, 2026

   “The gender pay gap or gender wage gap is the average difference between the remuneration for men and women who are employed. In most countries, women are paid less than men for the same work. non-adjusted pay gap is the average difference in yearly earnings between male and female workers adjusted pay gap is the difference between how much men and women make for the same work, and it takes into account differences in hours worked, occupations chosen, education attained, and job experience. The global unadjusted gender pay gap is 68.5%. Recently, the pay gap has decreased most rapidly in Global South developing countries. In the European Union, there has been little change in the gender pay gap in the 21st century. In 2024 in the United States, according to Pew Research, women earned 85% as much as men, slightly up from 81% in 2003. Developed Asian economies have also entered a stage of relative stability, yet income disparities remain relatively larger compared with those in Western economies. The adjusted gender pay gap is much smaller.”

2. 2

   Gender pay gap in the United States (Wikipedia)

   WikipediaPublished Oct 6, 2026Checked Oct 10, 2026

   “The gender pay gap in the United States is a measure comparing the earnings of men and women in the workforce. According to Pew Research in 2024, women earned 85% as much as men, up from 81% in 2003. However when variables such as hours worked, occupations chosen, and education and job experience are controlled for, the gap diminishes with females earning 95% as much as males. The exact figure varies because different organizations use different methodologies to calculate the gap. The gap varies depending on industry and is influenced by factors such as race and age. The causes of the gender pay gap are debated, but popular explanations include the "motherhood penalty," hours worked, occupation chosen, willingness to negotiate salary, and gender bias.”

3. 3

   Unpacking gender wage inequality in poultry farming: evidence from Togo through Oaxaca-Blinder analysis.

   Frontiers in sociology (Ihou et al.)Published Jun 29, 2026Checked Oct 10, 2026

   “This study investigates gender wage inequality in poultry industries, a relevant issue in the ongoing debates on workplace discrimination. The study used the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method to assess the portion of wage differences explained and unexplained. The methodology involves the collection of primary data from 200 employees across six prefectures in the Maritime region of Togo. The analysis reveals that 35.10% of the total wage gap is explained by differences in individual characteristics between genders, such as age, experience, and level of responsibility, while 64.90% of the gap remains unexplained. This unexplained portion is likely due to wage discrimination. These findings strengthen the hypothesis that wage discrimination is a major factor contributing to the observed wage gap. This study suggests that policies should still be combating this discrimination which is crucial for ensuring greater equity in the poultry sector and, more broadly, in other economic sectors.”

4. 4

   Gender pay gaps in nursing and midwifery: Evidence from cross-country comparative analysis.

   International journal of nursing studies (Amo-Agyei & McIsaac)Published Jun 2, 2026Checked Oct 10, 2026

   “Distributional decompositions show that a substantial share of observed pay gaps remains unexplained by these characteristics in several countries, while regression analyses confirm statistically significant conditional pay gaps.ConclusionsGender pay gaps in nursing and midwifery are widespread but highly heterogeneous across countries. Raw pay gaps alone are insufficient for understanding inequality in these highly feminised occupations, underscoring the importance of robust, context-sensitive analytical approaches. Where pay gaps persist after adjustment, they point to structural and institutional factors related to wage-setting and progression. Addressing these disparities is essential not only for gender equality but also for the retention, motivation, and long-term resilience of the nursing and midwifery workforce and the health systems that depend on them.RegistrationNot registered.Social media abstractGender pay gaps in nursing and midwifery persist across 27 countries. Raw pay gaps often provide an incomplete picture, while adjusted analyses reveal substantial unexplained disparities, particularly in upper-middle- and high-income settings.”

5. 5

   Mind the (gender pay) gap: the role of board gender composition.

   Journal of population economics (Galanakis & Gosling)Published Feb 21, 2026Checked Oct 10, 2026

   “We study how the share of female directors affects company-reported gender pay gaps using linked administrative data. We combine gender pay gap reports with proprietary board-composition data for 8,411 UK firms with at least 250 employees (2017-2021). Our identification uses a Bartik (1991)-style instrumental variable design that exploits regional shifts in female board representation. A one-percentage-point increase in the female director share reduces the gender pay gap by 0.043 percentage points. Moving from the current UK average to board gender parity would close about one-sixth of the reported 9.7% pay gap. The effect operates through three channels. Female directors generate asymmetric wage increases favouring women, improve female representation across pay quartiles, and ensure more equitable allocation of performance-related pay. Effects are concentrated in firms with 250-5,000 employees and are strongest when UK nationals comprise a board majority.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00148-026-01159-x.”

6. 6

   Pay gaps in the National Health Service: Gender and sexuality.

   PloS one (Mumford et al.)Published Mar 4, 2026Checked Oct 10, 2026

   “Studies investigating the relationship between gender, sexual identity and pay have increased in number and scope over the last three decades, enabling a greater understanding of the outcomes facing LGB+ workers in the labour market. Pay gap studies that also allow for the disclosure of sexual identity in the workplace are, however, very rare. Using a rich survey of employees from the National Health Service in England, this article considers the relationship between relative pay, LGB+ identity, and disclosure for both men and women. While the findings reveal substantial heterogeneity within the LGB + , disclosure is shown to be related to higher pay from larger returns on the endowments of LGB+ employees (men or women), especially so for men.”