Demographics
Visualizing the World’s Plummeting Fertility Rate
Visualizing the World’s Plummeting Fertility Rate
At the dawn of the 19th century, the world population hit a big milestone: 1 billion people.
Over the next 220 years, the number grew to eight times that, or the 8 billion people who live on the planet today, with half of the growth occurring since 1975.
This continuous climb in global population has been possible thanks to advancements in healthcare and nutrition. However, the UN forecasts that rapid growth will slow down—and may even stop entirely by 2100—because of falling fertility rates.
What does that mean for modern nation states conditioned to expect a constant influx of new citizens and labor to power their economies? And how can those changing economies adapt to a shrinking population?
To understand that, we need to first untangle fertility rates, and why they’re falling.
Explained: Fertility and Replacement Rates
The total fertility rate is the average number of births per woman over a lifetime. This measurement makes two key assumptions, however:
- The woman will live to the end of her childbearing years
- The woman will bear children according to the age-specific fertility rates currently observed
Both assumptions add some uncertainty to future fertility rate projections. However, decades of past data collected by the World Bank help show some overall trends around the world, and in many countries.
The world fertility rate (expressed as the number of children per woman) has been falling steadily since the 1970s.
In 2020, the world’s fertility rate stood at 2.3, slightly above the replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman, which allows for one generation to replace itself. This is down more than two times from 4.7 in 1960.
But the world’s average hides the vast disparities between the fertility rate of countries. We dive into the differences below.
Which Country has the Highest Fertility Rate?
According to the UN, nearly two-thirds of the world’s population lives in a region where the fertility rate is below the critical 2.1 threshold. In the table below, countries are ranked from the highest to lowest average births per woman in 2020.
Rank | Country Name | 1960 | 1975 | 1990 | 2005 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Niger | 7.53 | 7.54 | 7.81 | 7.62 | 6.89 |
2 | Somalia | 7.25 | 7.03 | 7.44 | 7.48 | 6.42 |
3 | Chad | 6.25 | 6.88 | 7.22 | 7.13 | 6.35 |
4 | Dem. Rep. of Congo | 6.08 | 6.42 | 6.70 | 6.60 | 6.21 |
5 | Mali | 7.00 | 7.24 | 7.25 | 6.72 | 6.04 |
6 | Central African Republic | 5.81 | 5.89 | 6.05 | 5.85 | 5.99 |
7 | Angola | 6.71 | 7.49 | 7.27 | 6.46 | 5.37 |
8 | Nigeria | 6.36 | 6.77 | 6.46 | 6.07 | 5.31 |
9 | Burundi | 7.00 | 7.24 | 7.37 | 6.71 | 5.18 |
10 | Benin | 6.28 | 6.85 | 6.73 | 5.68 | 5.05 |
11 | Burkina Faso | 6.25 | 6.91 | 7.01 | 6.18 | 4.87 |
12 | Tanzania | 6.73 | 7.00 | 6.20 | 5.61 | 4.80 |
13 | Gambia | 6.25 | 6.41 | 6.22 | 5.72 | 4.78 |
14 | Afghanistan | 7.28 | 7.54 | 7.57 | 6.91 | 4.75 |
15 | Mozambique | 6.32 | 6.69 | 6.22 | 5.61 | 4.71 |
16 | Uganda | 6.94 | 7.23 | 7.04 | 6.57 | 4.69 |
17 | Cameroon | 5.65 | 6.39 | 6.39 | 5.41 | 4.54 |
18 | South Sudan | 6.72 | 6.92 | 7.99 | 6.17 | 4.54 |
19 | Sudan | 6.65 | 6.93 | 6.17 | 5.04 | 4.54 |
20 | Guinea | 6.11 | 6.37 | 6.63 | 5.70 | 4.49 |
21 | Cote d'Ivoire | 7.69 | 7.91 | 6.73 | 5.46 | 4.47 |
22 | Mauritania | 6.35 | 6.68 | 6.06 | 5.19 | 4.46 |
23 | Senegal | 7.00 | 7.25 | 6.40 | 5.19 | 4.45 |
24 | Zambia | 7.12 | 7.39 | 6.53 | 5.71 | 4.38 |
25 | Equatorial Guinea | 5.65 | 5.79 | 5.99 | 5.56 | 4.35 |
26 | Togo | 6.72 | 7.15 | 6.13 | 5.07 | 4.32 |
27 | Ethiopia | 6.88 | 7.14 | 7.24 | 5.97 | 4.24 |
28 | Rep. of Congo | 6.09 | 6.36 | 5.21 | 4.66 | 4.23 |
29 | Liberia | 6.39 | 6.74 | 6.37 | 5.52 | 4.17 |
30 | Guinea-Bissau | 5.92 | 6.15 | 6.51 | 5.45 | 4.09 |
31 | Sierra Leone | 6.18 | 6.55 | 6.57 | 5.81 | 4.08 |
32 | Comoros | 6.79 | 7.12 | 6.50 | 5.03 | 4.05 |
33 | Solomon Islands | 6.97 | 7.07 | 5.66 | 4.48 | 4.04 |
34 | Samoa | 7.65 | 6.68 | 4.93 | 4.37 | 4.00 |
35 | Malawi | 7.03 | 7.40 | 6.81 | 5.91 | 4.00 |
36 | Eritrea | 6.48 | 6.59 | 6.34 | 4.93 | 3.93 |
37 | Madagascar | 7.30 | 7.10 | 6.16 | 5.10 | 3.92 |
38 | Sao Tome & Principe | 6.24 | 6.53 | 5.83 | 4.96 | 3.89 |
39 | Yemen | 7.94 | 8.40 | 8.61 | 5.58 | 3.89 |
40 | Rwanda | 8.19 | 8.22 | 6.87 | 5.44 | 3.87 |
41 | Vanuatu | 6.86 | 6.09 | 5.03 | 4.16 | 3.78 |
42 | Ghana | 6.85 | 6.77 | 5.71 | 4.54 | 3.62 |
43 | West Bank & Gaza | NA | NA | 6.78 | 4.84 | 3.57 |
44 | Pakistan | 6.80 | 6.81 | 6.36 | 4.64 | 3.56 |
45 | Iraq | 5.30 | 6.88 | 5.88 | 4.48 | 3.55 |
46 | Gabon | 4.42 | 5.39 | 5.46 | 4.21 | 3.55 |
47 | Zimbabwe | 7.22 | 6.98 | 4.87 | 3.67 | 3.55 |
48 | Kenya | 7.63 | 7.88 | 6.13 | 4.78 | 3.40 |
49 | Namibia | 6.21 | 6.54 | 5.32 | 3.56 | 3.35 |
50 | Kiribati | 6.55 | 5.03 | 4.64 | 3.80 | 3.33 |
51 | Papua New Guinea | 6.02 | 6.07 | 5.18 | 4.22 | 3.27 |
52 | Tonga | 6.89 | 5.43 | 4.64 | 4.18 | 3.27 |
53 | Timor-Leste | 6.32 | 5.19 | 5.81 | 5.71 | 3.25 |
54 | Tajikistan | 6.55 | 6.60 | 5.34 | 3.44 | 3.24 |
55 | Tuvalu | 4.78 | 3.50 | 3.91 | 3.63 | 3.19 |
56 | Kazakhstan | 4.53 | 3.39 | 2.72 | 2.22 | 3.13 |
57 | Lesotho | 5.82 | 5.90 | 4.76 | 3.44 | 3.05 |
58 | Kyrgyzstan | 5.38 | 4.66 | 3.63 | 2.50 | 3.00 |
59 | Egypt | 6.79 | 5.80 | 4.48 | 3.15 | 2.96 |
60 | Algeria | 7.50 | 7.37 | 4.56 | 2.56 | 2.94 |
61 | Israel | 3.87 | 3.55 | 2.82 | 2.84 | 2.90 |
62 | Mongolia | 6.83 | 7.13 | 4.23 | 2.03 | 2.90 |
63 | Uzbekistan | 6.61 | 5.89 | 4.07 | 2.36 | 2.90 |
64 | Eswatini | 6.75 | 6.75 | 5.25 | 3.68 | 2.89 |
65 | Jordan | 7.67 | 7.89 | 5.48 | 3.78 | 2.87 |
66 | Haiti | 6.21 | 5.69 | 5.48 | 3.83 | 2.87 |
67 | Djibouti | 6.83 | 6.77 | 5.98 | 3.99 | 2.85 |
68 | Botswana | 6.63 | 6.58 | 4.49 | 3.08 | 2.84 |
69 | Syria | 7.49 | 7.47 | 5.38 | 3.81 | 2.80 |
70 | Philippines | 7.15 | 5.60 | 4.35 | 3.49 | 2.78 |
71 | Micronesia | 6.69 | 6.68 | 4.96 | 3.60 | 2.75 |
72 | Turkmenistan | 6.59 | 5.90 | 4.24 | 2.66 | 2.70 |
73 | Oman | 7.25 | 7.75 | 6.61 | 3.05 | 2.69 |
74 | Bolivia | 6.36 | 5.79 | 4.89 | 3.56 | 2.65 |
75 | Guam | 5.91 | 3.91 | 3.05 | 2.76 | 2.59 |
76 | Lao | 6.29 | 6.29 | 6.08 | 3.67 | 2.54 |
77 | Libya | 7.37 | 7.96 | 4.97 | 2.77 | 2.51 |
78 | Paraguay | 6.50 | 5.21 | 4.55 | 3.04 | 2.50 |
79 | Fiji | 6.46 | 4.10 | 3.41 | 2.89 | 2.50 |
80 | Guatemala | 6.96 | 6.41 | 5.48 | 3.97 | 2.48 |
81 | Saudi Arabia | 7.63 | 7.37 | 5.83 | 3.24 | 2.47 |
82 | Guyana | 6.37 | 4.50 | 3.07 | 2.84 | 2.42 |
83 | South Africa | 6.16 | 5.19 | 3.72 | 2.51 | 2.40 |
84 | Honduras | 7.46 | 6.86 | 5.29 | 3.55 | 2.39 |
85 | Cambodia | 6.25 | 4.10 | 5.64 | 3.24 | 2.38 |
86 | Suriname | 6.61 | 4.73 | 3.27 | 2.75 | 2.37 |
87 | Morocco | 7.04 | 6.27 | 4.02 | 2.57 | 2.35 |
88 | Nicaragua | 7.16 | 6.50 | 4.60 | 2.77 | 2.35 |
89 | Panama | 5.84 | 4.42 | 3.10 | 2.67 | 2.34 |
90 | Dominican Republic | 7.56 | 5.24 | 3.41 | 2.61 | 2.30 |
91 | Faroe Islands | NA | 2.90 | 2.80 | 2.60 | 2.30 |
92 | World | 4.70 | 4.08 | 3.31 | 2.60 | 2.30 |
93 | Seychelles | NA | NA | NA | 2.20 | 2.29 |
94 | Venezuela, RB | 6.36 | 4.69 | 3.45 | 2.63 | 2.23 |
95 | Peru | 6.94 | 5.71 | 3.91 | 2.69 | 2.22 |
96 | Indonesia | 5.55 | 5.04 | 3.10 | 2.43 | 2.19 |
97 | Myanmar | 5.98 | 5.29 | 3.54 | 2.55 | 2.17 |
98 | Kuwait | 7.16 | 6.09 | 3.32 | 2.66 | 2.14 |
99 | Tunisia | 6.94 | 6.03 | 3.47 | 1.98 | 2.11 |
100 | Lebanon | 5.82 | 4.56 | 3.30 | 2.20 | 2.10 |
101 | Nepal | 6.03 | 5.75 | 5.21 | 3.14 | 2.06 |
102 | Ecuador | 6.72 | 5.43 | 3.74 | 2.80 | 2.05 |
103 | India | 5.92 | 5.20 | 4.05 | 2.96 | 2.05 |
104 | New Caledonia | 6.28 | 3.70 | 3.18 | 2.20 | 2.04 |
105 | Virgin Islands | 5.45 | 3.63 | 2.99 | 2.24 | 2.03 |
106 | Grenada | 6.74 | 4.02 | 3.49 | 2.34 | 2.02 |
107 | Greenland | NA | 2.35 | 2.44 | 2.38 | 2.02 |
108 | Bangladesh | 6.78 | 6.74 | 4.48 | 2.81 | 2.00 |
109 | Sri Lanka | 5.47 | 3.79 | 2.52 | 2.28 | 2.00 |
110 | Belize | 6.50 | 6.28 | 4.70 | 3.13 | 2.00 |
111 | Georgia | 2.94 | 2.53 | 2.31 | 1.61 | 1.97 |
112 | Vietnam | 6.28 | 5.64 | 3.60 | 1.96 | 1.96 |
113 | Turkiye | 6.38 | 5.07 | 3.13 | 2.22 | 1.92 |
114 | Argentina | 3.08 | 3.30 | 3.03 | 2.43 | 1.91 |
115 | Cabo Verde | 6.89 | 6.77 | 5.39 | 2.93 | 1.91 |
116 | Mexico | 6.76 | 5.79 | 3.45 | 2.50 | 1.91 |
117 | Gibraltar | 3.01 | 2.62 | 2.44 | 1.70 | 1.86 |
118 | Bahrain | 7.15 | 5.62 | 3.76 | 2.62 | 1.83 |
119 | France | 2.85 | 2.09 | 1.77 | 1.94 | 1.83 |
120 | El Salvador | 6.63 | 5.68 | 3.95 | 2.46 | 1.82 |
121 | Malaysia | 6.41 | 4.52 | 3.37 | 2.33 | 1.82 |
122 | North Korea | 3.57 | 3.05 | 2.35 | 1.96 | 1.82 |
123 | Qatar | 6.65 | 6.10 | 4.18 | 2.58 | 1.82 |
124 | St. Vincent & the Grenadines | 7.29 | 4.98 | 2.83 | 2.07 | 1.81 |
125 | Brunei Darussalam | 6.84 | 4.99 | 3.29 | 2.02 | 1.80 |
126 | Moldova | 3.33 | 2.53 | 2.39 | 1.53 | 1.77 |
127 | Montenegro | 3.50 | 2.40 | 1.94 | 1.69 | 1.75 |
128 | Colombia | 6.74 | 4.40 | 3.08 | 2.26 | 1.74 |
129 | Iceland | 4.29 | 2.65 | 2.30 | 2.05 | 1.72 |
130 | Maldives | 6.80 | 7.19 | 6.09 | 2.24 | 1.71 |
131 | Czechia | 2.09 | 2.43 | 1.90 | 1.29 | 1.71 |
132 | Iran | 7.30 | 6.01 | 4.86 | 1.78 | 1.71 |
133 | French Polynesia | 5.89 | 4.71 | 3.44 | 2.19 | 1.71 |
134 | Azerbaijan | 5.88 | 4.18 | 2.74 | 2.00 | 1.70 |
135 | Denmark | 2.57 | 1.92 | 1.67 | 1.80 | 1.67 |
136 | Sweden | 2.17 | 1.77 | 2.13 | 1.77 | 1.66 |
137 | Brazil | 6.06 | 4.42 | 2.91 | 1.97 | 1.65 |
138 | U.S. | 3.65 | 1.77 | 2.08 | 2.06 | 1.64 |
139 | Trinidad and Tobago | 5.35 | 3.24 | 2.38 | 1.68 | 1.63 |
140 | Ireland | 3.78 | 3.37 | 2.11 | 1.86 | 1.63 |
141 | Barbados | 4.33 | 2.39 | 1.74 | 1.79 | 1.63 |
142 | New Zealand | 4.24 | 2.33 | 2.18 | 1.97 | 1.61 |
143 | Curacao | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1.60 |
144 | Romania | 2.34 | 2.59 | 1.83 | 1.40 | 1.60 |
145 | Slovenia | 2.19 | 2.18 | 1.46 | 1.26 | 1.60 |
146 | Australia | 3.45 | 2.15 | 1.90 | 1.81 | 1.58 |
147 | Estonia | 1.98 | 2.04 | 2.05 | 1.52 | 1.58 |
148 | Armenia | 4.79 | 2.96 | 2.71 | 1.54 | 1.58 |
149 | Slovak Republic | 3.04 | 2.55 | 2.09 | 1.27 | 1.57 |
150 | Antigua and Barbuda | 4.60 | 2.77 | 2.25 | 1.83 | 1.57 |
151 | Isle of Man | 2.88 | 2.05 | 1.92 | 1.85 | 1.57 |
152 | Bulgaria | 2.31 | 2.23 | 1.82 | 1.37 | 1.56 |
153 | United Kingdom | 2.69 | 1.81 | 1.83 | 1.76 | 1.56 |
154 | Hungary | 2.02 | 2.35 | 1.87 | 1.31 | 1.56 |
155 | Costa Rica | 6.71 | 3.80 | 3.21 | 2.04 | 1.56 |
156 | Belgium | 2.54 | 1.74 | 1.62 | 1.76 | 1.55 |
157 | Latvia | 1.94 | 1.96 | 2.02 | 1.39 | 1.55 |
158 | Netherlands | 3.12 | 1.66 | 1.62 | 1.71 | 1.55 |
159 | Chile | 4.70 | 3.18 | 2.58 | 1.80 | 1.54 |
160 | Germany | 2.37 | 1.45 | 1.45 | 1.34 | 1.53 |
161 | Kosovo | 6.36 | 5.25 | 3.65 | 2.61 | 1.53 |
162 | Russia | 2.52 | 1.98 | 1.89 | 1.29 | 1.51 |
163 | Cuba | 4.13 | 2.85 | 1.80 | 1.47 | 1.50 |
164 | Croatia | 2.23 | 1.96 | 1.63 | 1.50 | 1.48 |
165 | Lithuania | 2.56 | 2.18 | 2.03 | 1.29 | 1.48 |
166 | Norway | 2.85 | 1.98 | 1.93 | 1.84 | 1.48 |
167 | Serbia | NA | NA | NA | 1.45 | 1.48 |
168 | Uruguay | 2.83 | 3.02 | 2.43 | 2.10 | 1.48 |
169 | U.A.E | 6.72 | 6.26 | 4.54 | 2.20 | 1.46 |
170 | Switzerland | 2.44 | 1.61 | 1.58 | 1.42 | 1.46 |
171 | Austria | 2.69 | 1.83 | 1.46 | 1.41 | 1.44 |
172 | Mauritius | 6.17 | 3.20 | 2.32 | 1.88 | 1.44 |
173 | Bhutan | 6.70 | 6.62 | 5.60 | 2.80 | 1.43 |
174 | St. Lucia | 6.97 | 5.46 | 3.40 | 1.68 | 1.41 |
175 | Albania | 6.46 | 4.52 | 2.90 | 1.80 | 1.40 |
176 | Canada | 3.81 | 1.82 | 1.83 | 1.57 | 1.40 |
177 | Portugal | 3.16 | 2.75 | 1.56 | 1.41 | 1.40 |
178 | Bahamas | 4.82 | 3.26 | 2.53 | 2.05 | 1.39 |
179 | Belarus | 2.67 | 2.17 | 1.91 | 1.25 | 1.38 |
180 | Poland | 2.98 | 2.27 | 2.06 | 1.24 | 1.38 |
181 | Finland | 2.72 | 1.68 | 1.78 | 1.80 | 1.37 |
182 | Luxembourg | 2.29 | 1.55 | 1.60 | 1.63 | 1.37 |
183 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 3.91 | 2.36 | 1.79 | 1.20 | 1.36 |
184 | Jamaica | 5.58 | 4.50 | 2.85 | 2.06 | 1.36 |
185 | Thailand | 6.25 | 4.40 | 2.09 | 1.59 | 1.34 |
186 | Greece | 2.23 | 2.33 | 1.39 | 1.34 | 1.34 |
187 | Japan | 2.00 | 1.91 | 1.54 | 1.26 | 1.34 |
188 | Cyprus | 3.51 | 2.11 | 2.41 | 1.48 | 1.33 |
189 | Aruba | 4.82 | 2.51 | 2.30 | 1.78 | 1.33 |
190 | Bermuda | NA | NA | NA | 1.76 | 1.30 |
191 | North Macedonia | 3.97 | 2.59 | 2.19 | 1.50 | 1.30 |
192 | China | 4.45 | 3.57 | 2.51 | 1.62 | 1.28 |
193 | Italy | 2.40 | 2.17 | 1.33 | 1.34 | 1.24 |
194 | Spain | 2.86 | 2.77 | 1.36 | 1.33 | 1.23 |
195 | Ukraine | 2.24 | 2.02 | 1.85 | 1.21 | 1.22 |
196 | Malta | 3.62 | 2.27 | 2.02 | 1.38 | 1.13 |
197 | Singapore | 5.76 | 2.07 | 1.83 | 1.26 | 1.10 |
198 | Macao SAR, China | 4.93 | 1.60 | 1.74 | 0.83 | 1.07 |
199 | British Virgin Islands | 5.16 | 3.36 | 1.59 | 1.34 | 0.98 |
200 | Puerto Rico | 4.80 | 2.77 | 2.38 | 1.77 | 0.90 |
201 | Hong Kong | 5.07 | 2.67 | 1.27 | 0.96 | 0.87 |
202 | South Korea | 5.95 | 3.43 | 1.57 | 1.09 | 0.84 |
The African country of Niger currently has the highest fertility rate, at 6.9, which means on average, a woman in Niger will have seven children in her lifetime.
With the exception of Afghanistan (14th), all of the top 30 countries are found on the African continent. In fact, it’s estimated that Africa will add 2.5 billion new people by 2100, while most continents will actually flatline in terms of population growth.
At the bottom of the rankings, the country with the lowest fertility rate is South Korea, at 0.84.
Interestingly, many of the current most populous countries of the world—including China, India, and the U.S.—are all below replacement levels of fertility, with parts of Europe and North America having had persistently low fertility levels since the 1970s.
However, even the countries that currently have high fertility rates have seen a steep decline over the last 60 years. Why?
Why are Fertility Rates Falling All Over The World?
Declining fertility rates are a consequence of a confluence of many related factors, including (but not limited to):
- Better access to contraception
- Improving opportunities for women, outside of childbearing
- Robust healthcare that lowers mortality rates of children
In the past, a larger number of children meant more chances of some making it to adulthood since infant mortality was so high. Women were also restricted to childbearing and rearing, and lacked access to contraception which led to increased—and sometimes unwanted—pregnancies.
Declining fertility rates are thus a triumph of improved socioeconomic development for many countries.
Consequences of Declining Fertility Rates
Although there are obvious issues with our large global population today, a different set of issues arise when fertility rates fall below replacement levels.
Dropping fertility rates can lead to shrinking populations and a higher ratio of the elderly to working adults—which will have unwanted economic consequences like increased healthcare costs and a reduced tax base.
Short-term solutions like immigration can help until populations are shrinking in every country. Longer-term solutions—reducing the cost of raising a child, and providing better support for families with children—are common strategies deployed to ward off demographic disaster.
The current crop of humanity has never had to contend with shrinking populations on a global scale. How will this reshape human livelihoods, priorities and expectations from life? We might soon find out.
Source: The World Bank.
Data note: The World Bank uses a number of sources to aggregate their data including the UN population division, Eurostat, and several national statistics programs. Data for some years is missing and has been marked as “NA.” Please visit their website for more information.
Demographics
The Smallest Gender Wage Gaps in OECD Countries
Which OECD countries have the smallest gender wage gaps? We look at the 10 countries with gaps lower than the average.
The Smallest Gender Pay Gaps in OECD Countries
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Among the 38 member countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), several have made significant strides in addressing income inequality between men and women.
In this graphic we’ve ranked the OECD countries with the 10 smallest gender pay gaps, using the latest data from the OECD for 2022.
The gender pay gap is calculated as the difference between median full-time earnings for men and women divided by the median full-time earnings of men.
Which Countries Have the Smallest Gender Pay Gaps?
Luxembourg’s gender pay gap is the lowest among OECD members at only 0.4%—well below the OECD average of 11.6%.
Rank | Country | Percentage Difference in Men's & Women's Full-time Earnings |
---|---|---|
1 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 0.4% |
2 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 1.1% |
3 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 1.4% |
4 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 1.9% |
5 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 2.0% |
6 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 3.2% |
7 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 3.3% |
8 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 4.5% |
9 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 5.8% |
10 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 6.1% |
OECD Average | 11.6% |
Notably, eight of the top 10 countries with the smallest gender pay gaps are located in Europe, as labor equality laws designed to target gender differences have begun to pay off.
The two other countries that made the list were Costa Rica (1.4%) and Colombia (1.9%), which came in third and fourth place, respectively.
How Did Luxembourg (Nearly) Eliminate its Gender Wage Gap?
Luxembourg’s virtually-non-existent gender wage gap in 2020 can be traced back to its diligent efforts to prioritize equal pay. Since 2016, firms that have not complied with the Labor Code’s equal pay laws have been subjected to penalizing fines ranging from €251 to €25,000.
Higher female education rates also contribute to the diminishing pay gap, with Luxembourg tied for first in the educational attainment rankings of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index Report for 2023.
See More Graphics about Demographics and Money
While these 10 countries are well below the OECD’s average gender pay gap of 11.6%, many OECD member countries including the U.S. are significantly above the average. To see the full list of the top 10 OECD countries with the largest gender pay gaps, check out this visualization.
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