Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Unit F3: Labour Market and lifelong learning
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
European Commission, Eurostat Unit F3: Labour Market and lifelong learning L-2920 Luxembourg
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
21 March 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
21 March 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
21 March 2024
3.1. Data description
The unadjusted gender pay gap (GPG) represents the difference between average gross hourly earnings of male paid employees and of female paid employees as a percentage of average gross hourly earnings of male paid employees. The GPG is calculated on the basis of:
- the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, and with the scope as required by the SES regulation,
- national estimates based on national sources for the years between the SES years, from reference year 2007 onwards, with the same coverage as the SES.
Data are broken down by economic activity (Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community - NACE), economic control (public/private) of the enterprise as well as working time (full-time/part-time) and age (six age groups) of employees. Data are released in February/March on the basis of information provided by national statistical institutes.
3.2. Classification system
The economic activity classification NACE Rev. 2 is used from reference year 2008 onwards. For previous reference years, up to 2007, data were also compiled using the previous economic activities classification (NACE Rev. 1.1) and are disseminated in a separate table (earn_grgpg1).
The time series in this table includes back-casted data for reference year 2007. They are only for information purposes, as a transition between the two classifications. For some countries, back-casting was not possible due to lack of detailed information at NACE 4-digit level. Nonetheless, data are available for all countries for the NACE Rev. 2 aggregates B to N, B to S and B to S without O which are of good and close approximation to NACE Rev. 1.1 aggregates C to K, C to O and C to O without L, respectively. For more information on NACE, please consult: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-manuals-and-guidelines/-/KS-RA-07-015
3.3. Coverage - sector
Economic sections, according to NACE Rev. 2, from B to S where O is optional; only enterprises with 10 employees or more.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The GPG is calculated on the basis of:
- the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, and with the scope as required by the SES regulation,
- national estimates based on national sources for the years between the SES years, from reference year 2007 onwards, with the same coverage as SES,
according to the following definition: GPG = [(average gross hourly earnings of male paid employees - average gross hourly earnings of female paid employees) / average gross hourly earnings of male paid employees] expressed in %. Average earnings used for the GPG are calculated as arithmetic means.
The scope/coverage is as follows:
- aggregated sections B to S excluding O (the total B to S is optional) according to NACE Rev. 2, and if possible, individual sections (at 1 digit-level) from B to S where O is optional,
- only enterprises with 10 employees or more,
- no restrictions for age and hours worked,
- part-timers shall be included,
- gross hourly earnings shall include paid overtime and exclude non-regular payments.
Employees are all persons who have a direct employment contract with the enterprise or local unit and receive remuneration, irrespective of the type of work performed, the number of hours worked (full or part-time) and the duration of the contract (fixed or indefinite).
As an unadjusted indicator, the GPG gives an overall picture of the differences between men and women in terms of pay and measures a concept which is broader than the concept of equal pay for equal work. A part of the earnings difference can be explained by individual characteristics of employed men and women and by sectoral and occupational gender segregations.
The gender pay gap for the EU is calculated as the weighted mean of the gender pay gaps in EU Member States, where the numbers of employees in Member States are weights. The EU gender pay gap is calculated only for the aggregated sections B to S without O.
Employees in enterprises with 10 employees or more.
3.7. Reference area
The data cover EU Member States, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. EU aggregates are available for the European Union and the Euro area.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data are available from 2007 onwards. However, EU and Euro area aggregates are available from 2010 onwards.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Percentages.
The reference year is equal to the calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Whereas the Structure of Earnings Survey has the legal basis, namely regulations 530/1999 and 1738/2005, the GPG data collection is based only on a gentlemen's agreement.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not applicable.
8.1. Release calendar
Data are disseminated in February/March.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Annual.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
News release inlcuding the gender pay gap on the ocasion of the International Women's Day.
Please consult free data on-line or refer to contact details.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not applicable.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
The current methodology for the gender pay gap, based on the structure of earnings survey, was adopted at the 18-19 September 2006 meeting of the Directors of Social Statistics. At the Labour Market Statistics Working Group on 15-16 June 2009, it was agreed on providing further breakdowns (NACE Rev. 2 sections, economic control (public/private) and age classes). An outline of the methodology is provided in point 3 above.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not available.
11.1. Quality assurance
GPG data are based on the methodology of the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey, and Member States compile/estimate GPG data according to the rules and guidelines established in the SES methodology.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Any deviations from the definitions are reported by the countries and included in annex below.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The main user of the GPG indicators is the European Commission, Directorate General for Justice responsible for gender equality policy. In 2011, the European Commission launched the European Equal Pay Day which is an annual event to raise awareness of a wage gap between women and men. A date of this event varies every year depending on the average EU gender pay gap. The data on the gender pay gap are also used by the other EU institutions and agencies (e.g., the European Parliament and the European Institute for Gender Equality), national governments, non-governmental organisations dealing with gender equality and media.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
The data cover all Member States as well as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Some of the gaps in data are due to late data delivery by countries. Others are due to non-availability of information at country level.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Not applicable.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Data is collected within 12 months from the end of the reference year.
14.2. Punctuality
Not applicable (data delivery based on a gentlemen's agreement).
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The common definitions and concepts are agreed to be used by the countries. Any deviations from the definitions are reported by the countries and included in annex below.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Comparability over time improved substantially since the GPG is calculated on the basis of the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The GPG is calculated on the basis of the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, and with the scope as required by the SES regulation.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not available.
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
To further specify the general Eurostat revision policy, the following revision policy has been established: according to the methodology, annual data are revised every four years when the data from the Structure of Earnings Survey become available.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The revision practice effectively corresponds to the revision practice of the domain listed under sub‑concept 17.1 (data revision – policy).
All reported errors (once validated) result in corrections of the disseminated data.
Reported errors are corrected in the disseminated data as soon as the correct data have been validated.
Country data may be published even if flagged as provisional or of low reliability. They are replaced with final data once transmitted and validated (e.g. updating in connection with the publication of next reference period).
European aggregates may be published even if some country data are missing in which case the data from the previous year would be used.
New data are only used to update disseminated data if provided according to the provision schedule set by Eurostat, or in the case of reported errors.
For reference years after the latest SES, GPG data are usually revised 1 year backwards.
When the new SES data are published by Eurostat, GPG data are revised back to the previous SES. Aggregates and components are revised at the same time. Reference year for the last SES and the years before can be considered final, after SES data have been published by Eurostat.
Major revisions do not cause time series break because they are smoothed out over the years between the latest two SES.
18.1. Source data
The GPG is calculated on the basis of the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, and estimated on the basis of national sources for the years between the SES years.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
The data are transmitted to Eurostat by the national statistical institutes.
18.4. Data validation
Plausibility checks are applied on the data submitted.
18.5. Data compilation
When compiling the EU aggregates, the gender pay gap is calculated as the weighted mean of the gender pay gaps in EU Member States, where the numbers of employees in Member States are weights.
The unadjusted gender pay gap (GPG) represents the difference between average gross hourly earnings of male paid employees and of female paid employees as a percentage of average gross hourly earnings of male paid employees. The GPG is calculated on the basis of:
- the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, and with the scope as required by the SES regulation,
- national estimates based on national sources for the years between the SES years, from reference year 2007 onwards, with the same coverage as the SES.
Data are broken down by economic activity (Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community - NACE), economic control (public/private) of the enterprise as well as working time (full-time/part-time) and age (six age groups) of employees. Data are released in February/March on the basis of information provided by national statistical institutes.
21 March 2024
The GPG is calculated on the basis of:
- the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, and with the scope as required by the SES regulation,
- national estimates based on national sources for the years between the SES years, from reference year 2007 onwards, with the same coverage as SES,
according to the following definition: GPG = [(average gross hourly earnings of male paid employees - average gross hourly earnings of female paid employees) / average gross hourly earnings of male paid employees] expressed in %. Average earnings used for the GPG are calculated as arithmetic means.
The scope/coverage is as follows:
- aggregated sections B to S excluding O (the total B to S is optional) according to NACE Rev. 2, and if possible, individual sections (at 1 digit-level) from B to S where O is optional,
- only enterprises with 10 employees or more,
- no restrictions for age and hours worked,
- part-timers shall be included,
- gross hourly earnings shall include paid overtime and exclude non-regular payments.
Employees are all persons who have a direct employment contract with the enterprise or local unit and receive remuneration, irrespective of the type of work performed, the number of hours worked (full or part-time) and the duration of the contract (fixed or indefinite).
As an unadjusted indicator, the GPG gives an overall picture of the differences between men and women in terms of pay and measures a concept which is broader than the concept of equal pay for equal work. A part of the earnings difference can be explained by individual characteristics of employed men and women and by sectoral and occupational gender segregations.
The gender pay gap for the EU is calculated as the weighted mean of the gender pay gaps in EU Member States, where the numbers of employees in Member States are weights. The EU gender pay gap is calculated only for the aggregated sections B to S without O.
Employees in enterprises with 10 employees or more.
The data cover EU Member States, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. EU aggregates are available for the European Union and the Euro area.
The reference year is equal to the calendar year.
Not applicable.
Percentages.
When compiling the EU aggregates, the gender pay gap is calculated as the weighted mean of the gender pay gaps in EU Member States, where the numbers of employees in Member States are weights.
The GPG is calculated on the basis of the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, and estimated on the basis of national sources for the years between the SES years.
Annual.
Data is collected within 12 months from the end of the reference year.
The common definitions and concepts are agreed to be used by the countries. Any deviations from the definitions are reported by the countries and included in annex below.
Comparability over time improved substantially since the GPG is calculated on the basis of the four-yearly Structure of Earnings Survey.
