In 2024, the difference between average hourly earnings for men and women in the United Kingdom for all workers was 13.1 percent, compared with seven percent for full-time workers, and -3 percent for part-time workers. During the provided time period, the gender pay gap was at its highest in 1997, when it was 27.5 percent for all workers. Compared with 1997, the gender pay gap has fallen by 13.2 percent for all workers, and 9.7 percent for full-time workers. Gender pay gap higher in older age groups Although the gender pay gap among younger age groups was quite small in 2023, the double-digit pay gap evident in older age groups served to keep the overall gap high. The gender pay gap for workers aged between 18 and 21 for example was -0.2 percent, compared with 11.2 percent for people in their 50s. Additionally the gender pay gap for people aged over 60 has changed little since 1997, falling by just 0.5 percent between 1997 and 2023, compared with a 12.8 percent reduction among workers in their 40s. Positions of power As of 2023, women are unfortunately still relatively underrepresented in leadership positions at Britain’s top businesses. Among FTSE 100 companies, for example, just 11 percent of CEOs were female, falling to just four percent for FTSE 250 companies. Representation was better when it came to FTSE 100 boardrooms, with 42.6 percent of positions at this level being filled by women, compared with 41.8 percent at FTSE 250 companies. In the corridors of political power, the proportion of female MPs was estimated to have reached its highest ever level after the 2024 election at 41 percent, compared with just three percent in 1979.

In 2024, the gender pay gap in the United Kingdom for people in their 50s was 12.1 percent, compared with -0.5 percent for people aged 18 to 21.

In 2024, the gender pay gap for all workers in the United Kingdom was highest in the financial and insurance sector, at 29.8 percent, and lowest in accommodation and food services, where it was 2.1 percent.

Results from a pay regression model and the factors that affect it across different disability breakdowns, using Annual Population Survey (APS) data.

During a 2024 survey carried out among marketers from the United Kingdom, it was found that women earned nearly 18 percent less than men. The gap widened in the most recent year by 1.8 percentage points.

Ethnicity pay gap estimates for 2018 across different ethnicity breakdowns using the Annual Population Survey.

Results of statistical modelling exploring linear regression and Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition.

Median pay and raw disability pay gap estimates across different characteristic breakdowns, using Annual Population Survey (APS) data.

Gender pay gap legislation introduced in April 2017 requires all employers of 250 or more employees to publish their gender pay gap data annually. The gender pay gap is the difference between the average earnings of men and women, expressed relative to men’s earnings.

You can also:

• https://gender-pay-gap.service.gov.uk/Employer/4uqEb2xp?_ga=2.27658492.1946053525.1607939901-1839648518.1580292073&_gac=1.55401689.1605710171.CPbR38KojO0CFUG4GwodxGkOQQ" class="govuk-link">explore this data on a dashboard
• https://data.gov.uk/dataset/54219db1-dd98-49d9-a383-a5978bb0aeb9/gender-pay-gap" class="govuk-link">export all national gender pay gap data

Ethnicity adjusted pay gap estimates for 2012 to 2022 across different ethnicity breakdowns using the Annual Population Survey, UK.

During a 2025 survey carried out among more than 3,500 marketers from the United Kingdom, it was found that on the manager/team manager level women earned 11.58 percent less than men. On the director/vice-president level, they earned 3.68 percent less than men.

Annual Survey for Hours and Earnings data to support the 'Understanding the gender pay gap' article.

Adjusted disability pay gap estimates across different characteristic breakdowns, using Annual Population Survey (APS).

As of 2024, the average gender pay gap in auxiliary activities supporting financial services and insurance in the United Kingdom (UK) was 35.4 percent. This indicates that, on average, male employees in this sector earned 35.4 percent more than their female counterparts. The pay gap in financial service activities (excluding insurance and pension funding) was significantly lower at 25.1 percent, while in the insurance sector, it stood at 19 percent.