Overview

New Eurostat data show that women aged 65 and older in Cyprus receive pensions that are, on average, 29% lower than those of men in 2024. The gap is wider than the EU average of 24.5%, highlighting persistent structural differences in retirement income.

EU Comparison And Data Insights

Across the European Union, the average pension gap between women and men stands at 24.5%. In Cyprus, the difference reaches 29%, placing the country above several peers, including Greece, where the gap is 23.8%.

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Eurostat data also shows significant variation across member states. Malta (40.3%), the Netherlands (36.3%), and Austria (35.6%) record the largest average gaps, while Estonia (5.6%), Slovakia (8.4%), and Hungary (9.6%) report the smallest disparities.

Median Versus Average Figures

Alongside average data, Eurostat published pension gap figures based on median pension values, which reduce the impact of extreme outliers. At the EU level, the median gap reaches 24.9% in 2024, slightly above the average figure.

In Cyprus, the median gap stands at 26.7%. While lower than the country’s average gap, it remains above the overall EU level. Across the euro area, the median gap reaches 28.1%, with Greece recording 29.8%.

Luxembourg (43.3%), Spain (41.1%), and the Netherlands (39.6%) show the largest median disparities, while Estonia, Hungary, and Denmark report comparatively smaller gaps.

Diverging Patterns And Structural Implications

The data also reveals notable differences between average and median measurements. In Denmark, the average pension gap exceeds the median by 12.9 percentage points, with similar patterns seen in Belgium (11.0 points) and Hungary (9.2 points).

In contrast, Spain, Luxembourg, and Portugal show the opposite trend, where the median gap is higher than the average by 11.9, 10.6, and 6.5 percentage points respectively.

These differences suggest that pension inequality is shaped not only by overall income levels but also by how pension distributions are structured across populations, reflecting long-term employment and earnings patterns.

Conclusion

The latest data confirms that Cyprus remains above the EU average in terms of the gender pension gap. Differences in lifetime earnings, career interruptions, and employment structures continue to translate into unequal retirement outcomes.

For policymakers, understanding both average and median indicators will be essential when designing reforms aimed at reducing pension inequality and improving long-term financial security for retirees.