Economic inequality by gender
In this entry we present data and research on economic inequalities between men and women. Here is an overview of some of the points we cover below:
- All over the world men tend to earn more than women.
- Women are often underrepresented in senior positions within firms, while at the same time they tend to be overrepresented in low-paying jobs.
- In many countries men are more likely to own land and control productive assets than women.
- Women often have limited influence over important household decisions, including how their own personal earned income is spent. [Jump to this section]
Whenever the data allows it, we also discuss below how these inequalities have been changing over time. As we show, although economic gender inequalities remain common and large, they are today smaller than they used to be some decades ago.
- In most countries the gender pay gap has decreased in the last couple of decades.
- Gender-equal inheritance systems, which were rare until recently, are now common across the world.
- Composite indices that cover multiple dimensions show that on the whole gender inequalities have been shrinking substantially over the last century.