Press release 07/03/2019

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY. 2019

There is a difference of 10,118 euros in average personal income and a difference of 7,973 euros in disposable income in favour of men

“Equality Between Women and Men in the Basque Country 2019” compiles the most relevant statistical information from a gender perspective

The average personal income of Basque women stood at 15,578 euros per annum, and 25,696 euros for men, according to the latest figures available from Eustat, corresponding to 2016. On the other hand, disposable income excluding costs and retentions was 13,315 euros per annum for women and 21,288 euros per annum for men. The difference in favour of men therefore stood at 10,118 euros for average personal income and 7,973 euros for disposable income.

These data are compiled in “Equality Between Women and Men in the Basque Country 2019”, the publication which Eustat has uploaded to its website today to celebrate International Women´s Day. For this publication, four extensive chapters have been assembled examining population, work, income and health from a perspective of gender. New sections will be added later, all with the purpose of gathering the most relevant statistical information on the situation of women in the Basque Country.

Among the numerous data contained in the publication, of particular note in the chapter concerning income is that the distribution of disposable income by age and sex shows a distinct gap in favour of men in all age groups, even among young people although to a lesser extent.

Disposable personal income (euros) of the population aged 18 and over in the Basque Country by sex and age in five-year groups. 2016

These differences become more pronounced with age, especially at retirement age, when the disposable income of women is less than half that of men. This situation can be observed up to age 79, when the figures for women and men start to get closer, but without ever becoming equal.

In addition, 10% of men and 15% of women aged 18 and over did not receive an income in 2016.

Personal and family income

The average personal income and family income according to the main provider are also specifically discussed in the publication. It reports that the distribution of the average personal income forms a pyramid with little symmetry, where the values for women are concentrated in the lower categories, whilst the values for men are in the intermediate or the higher categories.

The income stratum from 15,000 to 18,000 euros per annum marks a turning point above which a higher proportion of men are situated, and below which the proportion of women in the lowest income strata is greater than the proportion of men.

In addition, the publication indicates that the number of people without an income was almost 5 percentage points higher in the case of women, and that the proportion of richer people was three times greater amongst men than women.

On the other hand, the employment rate for women aged between 16 and 64 stood at 62.2% in 2016, whereas the rate for men was 68.9%. Average personal income stood at 23,497 euros for employed women and at 33,140 euros for employed men, meaning that there was a difference of a third in favour of men.

In the section dedicated to family income, the publication indicates that 3.06% of families headed by women aged 18 and over, and 1.95% of families headed by men of the same age, did not have a declared income in 2016.

In families which received an income, when the main recipient was a man the average family income stood at 46,709 euros, with those families being concentrated in the intermediate and high income strata. However, when the main earner was a woman, the figure was 36,819 euros, and the families were concentrated in the lower income strata. Specifically, 9% of families with a woman as the main earner were in the 9,001 to 12,000 euros income stratum.

Work

In the chapter on paid and non-paid work, the publication reports that the number of employed women is increasing. Specifically, in 2018 the yearly average of employed women stood at 435,700, and at 482,600 for men.

It also shows that younger women aged between 16 and 24 presented a slightly higher employment rate than men of the same age (21.7% compared to 19.6%). However, employment rates in the other large age groups were higher for men, with the difference becoming more pronounced with age.

As for the average net pay of the salaried and integrated population, the figure stood at 1,292 euros for women and at 1,647 euros for men, according to the 2016 Working Condition Survey. The 30-44 age group showed the largest wage gap (23%), with an average of 1,223 euros for women and 1,594 euros for men.

Another section of the publication shows that 18.8% of employed women were very unsatisfied with the collaboration offered by their spouse or partner in carrying out domestic tasks, according to figures from the 2017 Survey on the Reconciliation of Work, Family and Personal Life carried out by Eustat.

Population

The section concerning the population indicates that in recent years the Basque Country has registered low demographic growth and positive migratory balances. Standing out is the high life expectancy, low fertility, moderate migrations and a lower proportion of young people than older people.

The population pyramid for 2018 showed that there were far fewer women in fertile age groups than in 2001. Specifically, 4 out of every 10 women and 4.5 men were in this age group.

The proportion of young women (under 20) accounted for 17% of women and was considerably lower than the proportion of women aged 65 or over (25%). The figures for men were around 19% in both cases.

Other interesting data included the birth rate in the Basque Country in 2017, which was 7.8 births per thousand inhabitants, below the rate of 8.4 for Spain and 9.9 for the European Union.

Fertility was also at very low levels compared to surrounding areas; specifically, the average number of children per woman stood at 1.4 in 2016.

On the other hand, the average age of maternity was 32.9, and only 56% of births were within marriage, one of the lowest figures in recent years.

Health

The chapter dedicated to health explains that, according to figures from the 2018 Health Survey, 82% of women and 87% of men perceived themselves to be in good or very good health, above the European average.

It also shows that life expectancy in the Basque Country in 2016 stood at 86.2 for women, which was amongst the highest in Europe, and at 80.3 for men.

On the other hand, three out of four women who died in 2017 were aged 80 or over (77%), compared to 55% of men of the same age group. The publication also illustrates that tumours are currently the main threat to life expectancy; without them men would prolong their lives 4.5 years and women 3.1 years

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62