The gender pay gap narrows by just two percentage points in a decade

GENEVA (ILO News) – New estimates from the International Labour Organization (ILO) show that the gap between the earnings of women and men has narrowed by just two percentage points since the last estimates were released in 2018. Overall, women still earn, on average, around 18 per cent less than men globally.

“A reduction of just two percentage points in ten years is simply not enough. Equal pay is not only a question of fairness; it is fundamental to achieving gender equality and advancing social justice in the world of work, hence the urgency of accelerating progress and turning commitments on equal pay into results,” says Mr Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization.

The estimates, which were released on 18 September, show significant differences between countries and income groups. While some countries have made substantial progress, others have seen gender pay gaps remain unchanged or even widen. Across income groups, the gap narrowed by around 2.5 percentage points in high-income countries, 2 percentage points in lower-middle-income countries and 1 percentage point in upper-middle-income countries over the past decade.

“The differences we see between countries and across income groups show us that there are ways for us to close the gender pay gaps. Progress is possible, and it requires smart policies that are context-specific and that are tailored to a country’s own labour-market conditions. And it is important that we act now, because there are millions of women whose work sustains families, businesses, and communities and must not continue to be undervalued,” explained Ms Emanuela Pozzan, Senior Gender Specialist at the ILO.

Behind the numbers are millions of women whose work across diverse sectors and occupations continues to be too often undervalued.

The gender pay gap is complex and reflects broader inequalities in the world of work, including differences in access to employment and career progression, occupational segregation, the unequal distribution of paid and unpaid care responsibilities, and discrimination and the undervaluation of women’s work. Tackling it effectively therefore requires coordinated action by workers, employers and governments.

“Together, governments, employers and workers can remove the structural barriers that underpin this injustice and strengthen the laws and institutions that promote equal pay. And through social dialogue, including collective bargaining, they can address the undervaluation of work done by women, strengthen pay transparency, build fairer wage structures, and ensure that women have an equal voice in shaping their economic lives,” emphasized Ms Chidi King, Chief of the Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Branch of the ILO.

It is time to move towards effective commitments to achieve faster progress

Measures such as stronger pay transparency, objective and gender-neutral job evaluation, effective wage policies, collective bargaining, enforcement of equality legislation, and investment in care systems and social protection can all contribute to tackling the structural factors behind gender pay inequalities.

Equal pay for work of equal value is a fundamental principle of the ILO, enshrined in the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100). International Equal Pay Day, recognized by the UN General Assembly in 2019 and commemorated annually on 18 September, provides an opportunity to renew commitment to this principle and reinforce the action needed to make it a reality. This commemorative date is therefore not only a moment to measure the progress made, but a call to accelerate action: at the current pace of a decline of just 0.2 percentage points per year, closing the gender pay gap remains a distant dream.

On 18 September 2026, the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) – a partnership launched in 2017 by the ILO, UN Women and the OECD – brought together governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, civil society, the private sector, academia and other partners at an international gathering in Dublin, organized by the Government of Ireland, to commemorate International Equal Pay Day, assess progress and identify concrete policy actions to accelerate the achievement of equal pay for work of equal value and close persistent gender pay gaps.

The backdrop to this year’s event was a new resolution adopted at the 2026 International Labour Conference concerning the ILO transformative agenda for gender equality in the world of work. The resolution reconfirms the commitment and determination of ILO Member States to close the gender pay gap. It is a timely reminder that gender equality, and equal pay in particular, is not only a question of fairness, but a fundamental right and an imperative in the pursuit of social justice for all.

The event in Dublin highlights the importance of multilateralism, development cooperation and partnerships, including EPIC, in accelerating progress to ensure that women’s work is valued fairly, opportunities are more equally distributed and the principle of equal pay for work of equal value is translated into concrete results for workers everywhere.