How much less are women paid than men?
The typical woman working full time was paid 6.9% less an hour than the typical man in 2025. Across everyone in work, part time as well, the gap was 12.8%. Ten years earlier the full-time gap was 9.6% (2015).
Median hourly pay, women against men, 2025. down 0.1 points on 2020.
Part time as well as full time, 2025. down 2.1 points on 2020.
The pay gap over time
What’s this?
How much less the typical (median) woman working full time is paid an hour than the typical man, as a percentage of his pay. Below zero would mean women are paid more.
What it cannot tell you: It compares typical pay, not pay for the same job. It reflects the jobs men and women do, the hours they work and career breaks, as well as any unequal pay for the same work.
What’s this?
The same gap across everyone with a job, part time as well as full time.
What it cannot tell you: Part-time work is more common among women, which makes this gap larger than the full-time gap.
Year by year
Percentage by which women's median hourly pay is below men's.
| Period | Gender pay gap, full-time employees | Gender pay gap, all employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6.9% | 12.8% |
| 2024 | 7.1% | 13.1% |
| 2023 | 7.5% | 14.2% |
| 2022 | 7.6% | 14.4% |
| 2021 | 7.7% | 15.1% |
| 2020 | 7.0% | 14.9% |
| 2019 | 9.0% | 17.4% |
| 2018 | 8.6% | 17.8% |
| 2017 | 9.1% | 18.4% |
| 2016 | 9.4% | 18.2% |
| 2015 | 9.6% | 19.3% |
| 2014 | 9.6% | 19.2% |
Questions people ask
What is the gender pay gap?
The difference between the typical (median) hourly pay of men and of women, as a share of men's pay. A gap of 6.9% means the typical woman earns that much less an hour.
Is the gender pay gap the same as unequal pay?
No. Paying a woman less than a man for the same work has been unlawful since 1970. The pay gap compares all men and all women, so it also reflects the jobs they do, the hours they work, and how often careers are interrupted by caring.
Why is the gap bigger for all employees than for full-time ones?
More women than men work part time, and part-time jobs pay less an hour on average, so including them widens the gap: 12.8% against 6.9%.
What does “gender pay gap, full-time employees” measure?
How much less the typical (median) woman working full time is paid an hour than the typical man, as a percentage of his pay. Below zero would mean women are paid more. It was 6.9% (% (median hourly pay, women against men)) in 2025, down 0.1 points on 2020. The highest we have is 13.0% (2005) and the lowest 6.9% (2025).
What does “gender pay gap, all employees” measure?
The same gap across everyone with a job, part time as well as full time. It was 12.8% (% (median hourly pay, women against men)) in 2025, down 2.1 points on 2020. The highest we have is 22.6% (2005) and the lowest 12.8% (2025).
Sources: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Updated every night. Each chart has a CSV and a Share button.
See also: Pay and earnings · Jobs and growth