Gender gap in Spain - statistics & facts
The fight for women’s rights in Spain has been a decades-long process. Since Marie Gouze’s “Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen” in 1791, many women, and many men, have fought to dismantle outdated gender roles. One of the major steps was women’s suffrage, which was introduced for the first time in Spain in the Constitution of 1931 during the Second Republic, with the help of Clara Campoamor.
Furthermore, the pay gap also varied across sectors and working schedules. Regarding the latter, while men working full-time earned an average of 30,740 euros annually, women had average salaries of 28,185 euros in 2021. For part-time positions, men had salaries, on average, 1,238 euros higher. As for sectors, men earned more than women in the vast majority of economic activities. Health and social services, wholesale and retail, motor repairs, and professional, scientific and technical activities registered the largest gender pay gap.
The pay gap
Thanks to figures like Campoamor, women in Spain currently take an active role in society, holding high positions in both the government and private sector. However, inequalities still persist. This is easily reflected in salaries: according to the latest data, the average gross salary of a woman was 81.64 percent of that of a man's. The difference was even larger in the case of women's most frequent salary, which was 74 percent that of their male counterparts.Furthermore, the pay gap also varied across sectors and working schedules. Regarding the latter, while men working full-time earned an average of 30,740 euros annually, women had average salaries of 28,185 euros in 2021. For part-time positions, men had salaries, on average, 1,238 euros higher. As for sectors, men earned more than women in the vast majority of economic activities. Health and social services, wholesale and retail, motor repairs, and professional, scientific and technical activities registered the largest gender pay gap.
