EC: Poland with one of narrowest gender pay gaps in EU

According to the European Commission, women in the EU still earn on average 16% less than men. “Compared to last year, when women earned 16.2 percent less, the situation improved only slightly,” the EC stated.

According to the latest available EC data, the gender pay gap is the smallest in Romania (3.5%), Luxembourg and Italy (5.0% each), Belgium (6.0%) and Poland (7.2%). Poland is ahead of countries such as Slovenia (8.0%), Croatia (11.6%), Malta (12.2%), Greece (12.5%) and Sweden (12.6%). The UK with its 20.8% result ranks 25th in this ranking, followed by Germany (21.0%) and the Czech Republic (21.1%). Estonia (25.6%) ranks last in this regard.

Among the reasons for the differences in remuneration, the EC cites, among other things, the fact that women more often work part-time, struggle with the problem of the “glass ceiling,” work in less-paid sectors and are often the main carers of families.

(PAP)