Gender statistics – Statistics Explained

Education

Tertiary education

One of the prominent indicators in education statistics is the proportion of persons who have attained tertiary education (i.e. who graduated from universities or other higher education institutions).

From the ‘tertiary education attainment’ indicator, a gender gap can be derived. It is defined as the proportion of men aged 30-34 years that have attained tertiary education minus that of women. In 2023, this gender gap was -10.9 percentage points (pp) in the EU, meaning that the proportion of women aged 30-34 years that had attained tertiary education exceeded that of men by 10.9 pp (see Figure 1). All EU Member States recorded a negative gender gap in tertiary education attainment. In 2023, that gap ranged from -2.5 pp in Germany (the smallest gender gap in absolute value), -3.9 pp in Ireland and -5.4 pp in Luxembourg to -22.0 pp in Lithuania, -22.9 pp in Latvia, -24.3 pp in Slovenia and -28.3 pp in Estonia (the largest gender gap in absolute value).

For the population as a whole, the proportion of persons aged 30-34 years that had attained tertiary education in 2023 ranged from 22.8 % in Romania to 66.1 % in Cyprus. Among the EU Member States with the largest gender gap in absolute value (above or equal to 22 pp), the proportion of persons with tertiary education was below the EU average (43.2 %) in Slovenia (40.0 %), Slovakia (41.1 %) and above in Estonia (47.3 %), Latvia (47.4 %) and Lithuania (59.5 %). Among the countries with the smallest gender gap in absolute value (below 6 pp), the proportion of persons aged 30-34 years with tertiary education was below the EU average, in Germany (41.0 %), whereas it was higher in Ireland (63.7 %) and Luxembourg (61.9 %).

For a better view of gender issues in the field of education, it is useful to take other indicators into account: upper secondary education attainment, lower secondary education, tertiary education graduates (women per 100 men), early leavers from education and training, as well as life-long-learning (see articles in Statistics Explained in the category Education and training).

1. Indicator: Tertiary education attainment
2. Gender gap: -10.9 pp
3. Range of gender gap: -2.5 pp to -28.3 pp
4. Proportion of persons with tertiary education: 22.8% to 66.1%

Labour market

Employment rate

The employment rate is considered a key social indicator for analytical purposes when studying developments in labour markets. The gender gap analysed here is defined as the difference between the employment rates of men and women of working age (20-64 years). Across the EU, the gender employment gap was 10.2 pp in 2023, meaning that the proportion of men of working age in employment exceeded that of women by 10.2 pp (see Figure 2).

The gender employment gap varies significantly across EU Member States. In 2023, the lowest gap was reported in Finland (0.2 pp), followed by Lithuania (1.5 pp), Estonia (2.4 pp) and Latvia (3.1 pp). At the other end of the scale, Member States with the highest gaps were Romania (19.1 pp), Italy (19.5 pp) and Greece (19.8 pp). This is due to the lower participation of women in the labour market in these countries.

For the population as a whole, the employment rate of persons aged 20-64 years in 2023 ranged from 66.3 % (in Italy) to 83.5 % (in the Netherlands). Among all the EU Member States with the smallest gender employment gaps (below 5 pp), all had an employment rate above the EU average rate of 75.3 %. Conversely, in all three countries with the largest gender employment gaps, the employment rate was below the EU average: Italy (66.3 %), Greece (67.4 %) and Romania (68.7 %).

For a better view of the gender issues in the field of employment, it is useful to analyse the following indicators: employment rate by highest level of education attained, employment by economic activity, self-employment, part-time employment, temporary employees, as well as unemployment and long-term unemployment (see articles in Statistics Explained in the category Labour market).

1. Indicator: Employment rate
2. Gender gap: 10.2 pp
3. Range of gender gap: 0.2 pp to 19.8 pp
4. Employment rate: 66.3% to 83.5%

Earnings

Gender pay gap

The ‘unadjusted’ gender pay gap provides an overall picture of gender inequality in hourly pay. This gap represents the difference between the average gross hourly earnings of men and women expressed as a percentage of average gross hourly earnings of men. It is called ‘unadjusted’ as it does not take into account all of the factors that influence the gender pay gap, such as differences in education, labour market experience or type of job.

Across the EU, women earn less per hour than men do overall. For the economy as a whole, in 2018, women’s gross hourly earnings were on average 14.4 % below those of men in the EU. The gender pay gap varies significantly across Member States. In 2018, the gender pay gap ranged from 1.4 % in Luxembourg, 2.2 % in Romania, 5.5 % in Italy and 5.8 % in Belgium, to 20.1 % in both Czechia and Germany, 20.4 % in Austria

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Education

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university.
• Indicator 4.3.1: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months.

Labour market

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
• Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities.

Earnings

• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure, and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate.
• Indicator 5.4.1: Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age, and location.

Life expectancy

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• Target 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
• Indicator 3.1.1: Maternal mortality ratio.
• Target 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.
• Indicator 3.2.1: Under-5 mortality rate.
• Indicator 3.2.2: Neonatal mortality rate.
• Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs.
• Indicator 3.7.1: Proportion of women of reproductive age (aged 15-49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Copyright: Dive into this article, curated with care by SDG Investors Inc. Our advanced AI technology searches through vast amounts of data to spotlight how we are all moving forward with the Sustainable Development Goals. While we own the rights to this content, we invite you to share it to help spread knowledge and spark action on the SDGs.

Fuente: ec.europa.eu

Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.