The gender pay gap remains a persistent issue in the EU and carries a substantial financial burden based on the latest statistics.

Women's average gross hourly earnings trail men's by 11.1 percent according to Eurostat, so that for every €100 earned by a man in the bloc a woman receives only €88.9.

Viewed on an annual basis the difference stands out more sharply, with the typical woman receiving nearly €3,900 less than men each year in the EU based on projections from the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) that draw on Eurostat information.

This results in the 92.5 million women employed in the EU together missing out on more than €358 billion every year.

"The expenses tied to pay transparency steps stay modest for firms yet this review reveals that government inaction will cost female employees billions in foregone wages," ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch remarked.

The EU Pay Transparency Directive applies to companies with at least 100 staff members so the projection covers that portion of the female workforce which includes 43 million women.

Luxembourg remains the sole EU country where women earn more than men by roughly €474 per year.

The average employed woman loses more than €5,000 annually in Finland (€7,592), Austria (€6,854), Germany (€6,049) and Sweden (€5,116) according to 2025 figures.

The yearly shortfall also exceeds the EU average (€3,881) in Estonia (€4,967), France (€4,536), Czechia (€4,499) and Ireland (€4,129) all above the €4,000 mark.

The projected shortfalls stand at €3,684 in the Netherlands, €3,487 in Slovakia, €3,405 in Cyprus, €3,181 in Hungary, €2,856 in Latvia, €2,591 in Greece, €2,404 in Lithuania, €2,245 in Slovenia and €2,005 in Spain.

The smallest figure appears in Belgium at just €322 and remains below the €1,000 level in Romania and Poland.

Among the EU's largest economies Italy records the lowest amount at €1,557.

The EU Pay Transparency Directive Can Make a Difference

The EU Pay Transparency Directive seeks to increase salary openness and address the gender pay gap. It was scheduled to enter into force by 7 June 2026 yet most member states missed the cutoff.

"This situation proves unacceptable given that women have already endured decades of pay discrimination. The era of secrecy that has permitted male dominated boardrooms to sustain pay discrimination must end," Lynch stated.

ETUC projections indicate the effect would prove notable since even a 10 percent reduction in the gap would deliver meaningful gains with the average employed woman then receiving around €672 more each year.

The largest benefit would occur in France at €1,069 followed by €1,033 in Ireland.

An employed woman would also receive higher pay in Finland (€963), Germany (€867), Italy (€847) and Denmark (€802).

The annual benefit would prove smallest in Poland at €221 since the gender pay gap stays narrower there.

ETUC Deputy General Secretary Isabelle Schömann added that any government continuing to sidestep its legal duty to implement the directive should anticipate court action.

The gender pay gap across the EU shows wide variation from -0.8 percent in Luxembourg to 18.8 percent in Estonia.