Gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation in Italy

Italy: Gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation was -2.5% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
-2.5%
Change on year
down 82.9%
World rank
53rd
of 67 countries
All-time high
0.4%
in 2014
All-time low
-2.5%
in 2020
Years of data
13
2008–2020

Gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation in Italy, 2008–2020

-3-2-102008201420202008: -0.009 %2009: -0.862 %2010: -0.554 %2011: -0.295 %2012: 0.434 %2013: -0.197 %2014: 0.446 %2015: -2.1 %2016: -2.5 %2017: -2.5 %2018: -1.9 %2019: -1.4 %2020: -2.5 %

Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Italy recorded -2.5% for gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.

The figure is down 82.9% on the previous year and down 354.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation in Italy peaked at 0.4% in 2014 and was at its lowest, -2.5%, in 2020.

That places Italy 53rd out of 67 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation in Italy, 2008 to 2020.
Year % Change
2008 -0.0%
2009 -0.9% +9477.8%
2010 -0.6% -35.7%
2011 -0.3% -46.8%
2012 0.4% -247.1%
2013 -0.2% -145.4%
2014 0.4% -326.4%
2015 -2.1% -578.0%
2016 -2.5% +14.9%
2017 -2.5% +2.7%
2018 -1.9% -23.4%
2019 -1.4% -28.6%
2020 -2.5% +82.9%

Italy compared with similar countries

  • Italy's -2.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 14.9%. (21 countries reporting)
  • Italy's -2.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10.7%. (16 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation in Italy 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.

YearChange FromTo
2009 -9477.8% -0.0% -0.9%
2015 -578.0% 0.4% -2.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s -0.4% -0.9% -0.0% 2
2010s -1.1% -2.5% 0.4% 10
2020s -2.5% -2.5% -2.5% 1

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 50 Malaysia 0.0% compare
  2. 51 Bhutan -0.6%
  3. 52 Zambia -1.6%
  4. 54 Thailand -3.6% compare
  5. 55 Colombia -4.5% compare
  6. 56 Jordan -4.7%

See the full ranking of 67 places →

More work & labour data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation in Italy?
Gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation in Italy was -2.5% in 2020, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation recorded in Italy?
The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 2014.
What is the lowest gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was -2.5% in 2020.
How does Italy rank for gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation?
Italy ranks 53rd out of 67 countries with data for 2020.
Is gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is down 354.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Italy 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 vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation in Italy. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/gender-gap-in-hourly-wages-vs-ratio-of-female-to-male-labor-force-participation/italy/

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About this data

Indicator
Gender wage gap vs. ratio of female-to-male labor force participation
Unit
%
Source
International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
67 places, 1,009 data points, 1969–2025
Last refreshed

Difference between average earnings of men and average earnings of women expressed as a percentage of average earnings of men.