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In 2023 the difference between average hourly earnings for men and women in the United Kingdom for all workers was 14.3 percent, compared with 7.7 percent for full-time workers, and -3.3 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.

Gender pay gap for median gross hourly earnings in the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2023

Characteristic	All-employees	Full-time	Part-time
2023	14.3%	7.7%	-3.3%
2022	14.4%	7.6%	-3.3%
2021	15.4%	7.9%	-2.7%
2020	14.9%	7%	-3.5%
2019	17.4%	9%	-3.5%
2018	17.8%	8.6%	-4.9%
2017	18.4%	9.1%	-5.3%
2016	18.2%	9.4%	-6.1%
2015	19.3%	9.6%	-6.8%
2014	19.2%	9.6%	-5.5%
2013	19.8%	10%	-5.9%
2012	19.6%	9.5%	-5.5%
2011	19.5%	9.1%	-5.6%
2010	19.8%	10.1%	-4.3%
2009	22%	12.2%	-2.5%
2008	22.5%	12.6%	-3.7%
2007	21.9%	12.5%	-2.2%
2006	22.3%	12.6%	-2.1%
2005	22.6%	13%	-3%
2004	25%	14.1%	-3%
2003	25.1%	14.6%	-1.3%
2002	26.9%	15.5%	-0.6%
2001	26.3%	16.4%	-3.7%
2000	26.7%	16.3%	-3.5%
1999	26.9%	16.4%	-2.6%
1998	27.3%	17.4%	-4%
1997	27.5%	17.4%	0.6%

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Release date

2023

More information

Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

1997 to 2023

Supplementary notes

The source adds the following information regarding methodology: "The gender pay gap is calculated as the difference between average hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of men and women as a proportion of average hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of men’s earnings. It is a measure across all jobs in the UK, not of the difference in pay between men and women for doing the same job."

The source advises caution when comparing data over time due to changes in methodology.

Years with the same methodology provided below:

1997-2004: Original methodology
2004-2006: Revised methodology
2007-2011:SOC00 methodology
2012-2021: SOC10 methodology
2022-2023: SOC20 methodology

SOC = "Standard Occupational Classification"

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