Spain reports regional salary disparities and gender pay gap

New data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) highlights significant wage variations across Spain. The Basque Country leads the nation with an average annual salary of 34,500 euros, which is 28.3% above the national average of approximately 26,900 euros. Other regions performing above the national average include Madrid, Navarra, Catalonia, Aragon, La Rioja, Cantabria, and Galicia.

In contrast, Extremadura reports the lowest average annual salary at 24,980 euros. The gap between the highest-earning region (Basque Country) and the lowest (Extremadura) is 9,520 euros annually.

Additionally, labor experts at the ASNALA National Congress in León addressed the gender pay gap. According to INE statistics, the average annual female salary stands at 26,904.90 euros, compared to 32,057.55 euros for men. This difference of over 5,000 euros has prompted discussions regarding the pending transposition of EU Directive 2023/970 on pay transparency, which aims to address wage inequality through improved documentation and professional group reviews.