Germany’s persistent gender pay gap remains stubbornly unchanged, with women earning, on average, 16% less per hour than men in 2024, according to data released Tuesday by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). This figure mirrors the previous year’s disparity, highlighting a systemic challenge despite ongoing policy discussions.
The raw, or unadjusted, gender pay gap reveals women receiving an average gross hourly wage of €22.81, a deficit of €4.24 compared to men’s average of €27.05. Crucially, regional variations persist, with the gap considerably narrower in eastern Germany at 5% versus 17% in the west, suggesting differing economic structures and potentially different workplace practices.
The methodology employed by Destatis aligns with the standard definition established by Eurostat, excluding sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fishing and public administration, defense and social security. Including the latter, the unadjusted gender pay gap widens to 15%, emphasizing the significant role of public sector employment in mitigating the overall disparity. This is notable because the public sector demonstrates a comparatively small gender pay gap – just 4% – in contrast to the 17% seen in the private sector. This highlights a stark imbalance wherein the relative wage difference in the private sector is more than four times that found in the public sphere.
Analysis reveals that approximately 60% of the observed wage gap can be attributed to factors readily available for statistical evaluation. A significant driver of this is women’s higher propensity to work part-time, a tendency correlated with lower average gross hourly wages, accounting for 19% of the overall difference (€0.81). Furthermore, women are disproportionately represented in lower-paying industries and occupations, contributing an additional 18% (€0.75). The required skill level within chosen professions explains a further 13% (€0.55).
However, a significant 40% of the wage discrepancy – representing €1.71 out of the total €4.24 – remains unexplained through these standardized analytical variables. This “residual” element reflects a further, adjusted gender pay gap of 6%, signifying that even when accounting for qualifications, experience and industry, women earn 6% less than their male counterparts – a figure of 9% in eastern Germany.
Statisticians caution that this adjusted pay gap likely overestimates the extent of potential wage discrimination, suggesting that additional data concerning career interruptions for maternity, childcare, or caregiving responsibilities could further refine these figures, potentially reducing the apparent disparity. They therefore characterize the adjusted gender pay gap as an ‘upper limit’ for possible wage discrimination experienced by women, underlining the scope for further investigation and policy intervention to address underlying structural inequalities.
