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The study reveals a 1.7% increase in the gender pay gap compared to 2024, reaching 12.9%, despite an uptick in the number of women in leadership roles.

The 19th edition of the Salary Gap and Women in Management Positions Report, produced by ICSA Grupo in collaboration with EADA Business School, highlights a setback in pay equity between men and women in Spain. For the first time in seven years, the gender pay gap has widened, now standing at 12.9%, a 1.7% increase compared to the previous year.

The study, based on over 80,000 updated salary data points as of February 2025, also notes a modest increase in the presence of women in leadership roles, with a 1.3% rise that brings representation back to 2022 levels. However, the progress in female leadership has not translated into a reduction in pay inequality.

“Despite the progress in female representation in leadership roles, barriers persist in historically male-dominated sectors and in top executive positions,” says Aline Masuda, professor and researcher at EADA Business School. “We must transform workplace structures to ensure that women’s professional access and growth do not come at the cost of unfair pay or career trade-offs.”

When broken down by functional areas, women have a stronger presence in communication (40.9%), human resources (34.6%), and marketing (32.5%) leadership roles. Conversely, representation remains low in traditionally male-dominated areas such as production (5.8%) and technology (5.1%).

The manufacturing sector stands out for its significant growth in female leadership, with an increase of over 7% compared to the previous year. However, the services sector continues to lead with 17.7%, followed by healthcare and social services at 16.81%.

Indry Canchila, Partner and Director of the Consulting Division at ICSA Grupo, stresses the need for structural change: “A 12.9% pay gap and only 16.9% of women in management roles show that gender equality in the Spanish labour market is far from consolidated. Job redesign and a shift in compensation strategies must become a priority to achieve real and sustainable equity.”

The report makes it clear that increased female representation alone is not enough without a profound transformation of the current labour model. True equity requires going beyond percentages and directly addressing wage inequality, shared responsibility, and the penalty often associated with workplace flexibility. Only by doing so can women’s access to leadership become sustainable, fair, and free from undue sacrifices.

Read the full report here