Global Wage Report 2024-25: Is Wage Inequality Decreasing Globally? (Executive Summary) (ILO)

Summary

• Global real wage growth recorded a 2.7% increase in 2024, the largest gain in more than 15 years.p.3
• Excluding China, global real wage growth in 2024 is estimated at 2.3%.p.3
• Advanced G20 economies returned to real wage growth of 0.9% in 2024, while emerging G20 economies recorded 5.9%.p.3
• Labour productivity in high-income countries grew 29% over 1999-2024, versus 15% for real wages.p.4
• In a sample of 72 countries, approximately two thirds witnessed reductions in wage inequality since the beginning of the twenty-first century.p.5
• The median real wage increased from US$525 PPP per month in 2006 to US$825 PPP per month in 2021.p.6
• Almost 22% of wage workers in low-income countries are paid less than half of the median hourly wage.p.5

Key insights

1. Advanced G20 economies registered real wage declines of -2.8% in 2022 and -0.5% in 2023.p.3
2. Emerging G20 economies recorded real wage growth of 1.8% in 2022 and 6.0% in 2023.p.3
3. Wage inequality at the global level, as measured by the D9/D1 ratio, decreased by 28% between 2006 and 2021.p.6
4. The purchasing power of the median wage earner in low-income countries is about 6% of that in high-income countries.p.6
5. Non-wage workers account for around 48% of the working population.p.4
6. The share of low-paid wage workers is 17%, 11% and 3% in lower-middle-income, upper-middle-income and high-income countries, respectively.p.5