Gender gaps in the labor market, 1991-2018 

This graph is based on ILO data and classifies regions according to the differences between men’s and women’s levels of participation in employment (registered employment, either part- or full-time). On a global scale, 50% of women work, compared with 80% of men. This average masks contrasting regional situations. The greatest disparity is in North Africa, the Middle East and Southern Asia where women, fairly consistently over time, do not work much (3 to 4 times less than men). The variation between men and women is less – but still between 10 and 15% – in Europe, North America, and sub-Saharan Africa.