02/24/2026February 24, 2026Gender pay gap in Germany shrinking but still very much there, study shows
The gender pay gap in Germany amounted to 15.6 percentage points in 2025, a reduction of almost seven percentage points in comparison with a decade earlier, a study has shown.
According to the study from the Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), an independent academic institute within the Hans-Böckler-Foundation, the average pre-tax hourly wage for men is €26.34 ($31.05) and for women, €22.24 ($26.21).
Despite the reduction in the pay gap, Germany is still well over the EU average of 12 percentage points.
The study also showed that men worked on average 38 hours per week, women 30.5 hours.
The authors pointed out that despite the shrinking gap in comparative pay, the so-called gender pension gap remains large, with women on average receiving 43% less in retirement pay than men in 2023.
https://p.dw.com/p/59J7N
02/24/2026February 24, 2026German parliament farewells Rita Süssmuth
The German parliament will be holding a state ceremony on Tuesday in honor of Rita Süssmuth, who was president of the Bundestag from 1988 to 1998 as the first woman to hold the post in reunified Germany.
A mass is to be held in St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Berlin at 10:00 a.m. local time (0900 GMT), followed by the ceremony in parliament from 12:00 midday.
Süssmuth, who died on February 1 at the age of 88, is only the third woman in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany to be honored by a state memorial ceremony.
It is being held at the instigation of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, with media saying that almost the entire Cabinet will be attending, along with ex-Chancellors Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz.
Süssmuth, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz‘s Christian Democrats (CDU), has already been laid to rest in her native city of Neuss.
You can read more about her significant achievements, particularly in the field of women’s rights, in DW’s full report on the life of Rita Süssmuth, the high-profile feminist reformer.
https://p.dw.com/p/59J1C
Guten Tag from the DW newsroom in Bonn!
You join us as the German parliament, the Bundestag, is set to commemorate the late Rita Süssmuth, a politician who has left a significant mark on the country with her commitment to the cause of gender equality, among other things.
The fact that there is still much to do in that area despite her efforts is shown by a new study indicating that the gender pay gap, while much smaller than 10 years ago, continues to be much in evidence.
And far-right AfD politician Björn Höcke is touring Germany’s largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, ahead of a party conference where he is to compete for the national leadership.
All his appearances have been accompanied by large protests by demonstrators who see the party as a grave danger for Germany’s democracy.
Follow along to keep up with the latest stories currently topping the headlines in Germany.
https://p.dw.com/p/59Iwy