Gender wage gap in Brazil
Brazil: Gender wage gap was 8.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Gender wage gap in Brazil, 1981–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, gender wage gap in Brazil stood at 8.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 28.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender wage gap in Brazil peaked at 35.8% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 2021.
Brazil ranks 28th of 67 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Gender wage gap in Brazil, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 34.2% | — |
| 1982 | 33.7% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 35.8% | +6.2% |
| 1984 | 34.0% | -4.8% |
| 1985 | 28.6% | -16.0% |
| 1986 | 34.7% | +21.4% |
| 1987 | 32.0% | -7.7% |
| 1988 | 30.9% | -3.5% |
| 1989 | 33.3% | +7.9% |
| 1990 | 26.1% | -21.7% |
| 1992 | 15.4% | -40.9% |
| 1993 | 25.6% | +65.9% |
| 2012 | 10.5% | -59.0% |
| 2013 | 10.0% | -5.1% |
| 2014 | 12.4% | +24.5% |
| 2015 | 10.6% | -14.7% |
| 2016 | 9.5% | -10.5% |
| 2017 | 8.9% | -6.3% |
| 2018 | 8.9% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 10.5% | +17.3% |
| 2020 | 5.6% | -46.0% |
| 2021 | 4.3% | -23.4% |
| 2022 | 8.9% | +106.0% |
| 2023 | 8.7% | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 8.8% | +1.4% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 8.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.9%, 3.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 8.8% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 0.0%, 1102.4× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Gender wage gap in Brazil changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +106.0% | 4.3% | 8.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 33.0% | 28.6% | 35.8% | 9 |
| 1990s | 22.4% | 15.4% | 26.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 10.1% | 8.9% | 12.4% | 8 |
| 2020s | 7.3% | 4.3% | 8.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More work & labour data for Brazil
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7328 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7065 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7581 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.74 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1001 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 215,063 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 17,625 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 82,304 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 81,060 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 163,364 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender wage gap in Brazil?
- Gender wage gap in Brazil was 8.8% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender wage gap recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 35.8% in 1983.
- What is the lowest gender wage gap recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 2021.
- How does Brazil rank for gender wage gap?
- Brazil ranks 28th out of 67 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gender wage gap rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Brazil data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender wage gap. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Difference between average earnings of men and average earnings of women expressed as a percentage of average earnings of men.