Gender Pay Gap in France Narrowing Slowly but Remains Significant

Despite legal measures and modest progress, women in France continue to face notable disparities in pay and representation in top positions.

The average annual salary for women in the private sector in 2023 was 21,340 euros, 22% lower than the 27,430 euros earned by men, according to INSEE data.
At equivalent working hours, women earned 14.2% less than men, and the gap narrows to 3.8% for identical roles within the same organization.
Women remain underrepresented in the highest-paying roles, comprising only 24% of the top 1% of earners in the private sector and facing barriers to leadership positions.
The 2025 gender equality index for companies improved slightly to 88.5 out of 100, but only 2% of firms achieved a perfect score, indicating widespread room for improvement.
Upcoming legislation aligned with an EU directive aims to enhance transparency by mandating salary disclosures in job postings and banning inquiries about prior pay by 2026.