How much less do women earn than men in Malta? 

Europe can sometimes be heralded for its work for women’s rights – but that doesn’t mean it is an exception to the fact that plenty more must be done for equality. Malta is no exception here either. 

According to the most recent stats, in the EU, women still earn 12 per cent less than men on average. That is around €88 for women for every €100 earned by men. In Malta, the wage gap comes far below average, at 5.1 per cent. 

This study by the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023 founds that the unadjusted gender pay gap ranged from -0.7 per cent in Luxembourg to 19 per cent in Latvia. 

The Global Gender Gap Index benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment). It is the longest-standing index tracking the progress of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these gaps over time since its inception in 2006.

Luxembourg was the only country where women (€101) earned more than men (€100). 

Eastern and Central European countries exhibited larger unadjusted gender pay gaps, while Southern European countries like Italy, Spain, Malta and Portugal had lower disparities. 

In 2013, the pay gap was recorded to be 16 per cent. That means that in 10 years, the gap has closed by just four points in total. In 2023, women in Latvia earned just €81 for every €100 earned by men, followed by Austria (€82) and Czechia (€82). 

Meanwhile, in Europe’s big economies, the gender gap remains significant, with the exception of Italy. Germany ranked low, coming in at fifth out of 31 countries, with women earning just €82 for every €100 earned by men. 

The unadjusted gender pay gap is a useful indicator. It is “the difference between the average gross hourly earnings of men and women expressed as a percentage of the average gross hourly earnings of men”. This calculation includes enterprises with 10 or more employees.

Among Europe’s top five economies, the gender pay gap remains significant, except in Italy. Germany ranked fifth among 31 countries, with women earning just €82 for every €100 earned by men. In the UK, this figure was €86, while in France, it was €88.

“In the EU women need to work 1.5 extra months to make up the difference,” the European Commission says.

The European body explained that overrepresentation of women in lower paying sectors was once of the reasons for the present gap. Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of the gap is linked to sectoral segregation, with women more likely to work in lower paying jobs in care, health and education, which are systemically undervalued. 

Women often take on more hours than men per week that include unpaid work such as caregiving and household responsibilities.

There is also an underrepresentation of women at the top. In 2023, fewer than one in ten CEOs of major companies are women. And while wages are not transparent across the board in the EU, the possibility of women getting paid less than men for the same job is apparent and possible.