Fact check: Which countries have the narrowest and widest gender pay gaps in 2025?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, the question about gender pay gaps in 2025 reveals different metrics and regional variations that complicate a straightforward answer.

For the narrowest gender pay gaps, multiple countries emerge depending on the measurement approach:

• Iceland consistently ranks first with a 92.6% gender parity score according to the Global Gender Gap Index ^[1]
• Belgium has the narrowest gap within the OECD at 1.1% ^[2]
• Luxembourg is unique in Europe, being the only country where women earn more than men with a negative gap of -0.7% to -0.9% ^{[3] [4] [2]}

For the widest gender pay gaps:

• South Korea has the largest gap in the OECD at 31.2% ^[2]
• Estonia shows the highest gap in Europe at 21.3% ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about measurement methodologies and regional scope. The analyses reveal that gender gap measurements vary significantly:

• The Global Gender Gap Index measures overall gender parity across multiple dimensions, not just pay ^[1]
• Pay gap statistics focus specifically on wage differences between men and women ^[2]
• Regional variations show different leaders depending on whether we examine global, OECD, or EU-specific data ^{[3] [4] [2]}

The question also omits the broader context that women globally earn 20% less than men for work of equal value ^[5], and that no economy has yet achieved full gender parity ^[1]. Additionally, within the EU, countries like Romania, Italy, and Belgium show some of the smallest gaps ^[4].

Organizations and policymakers benefit from highlighting different metrics - international bodies like the World Economic Forum promote comprehensive gender parity indices, while EU institutions focus on regional pay equity achievements, and OECD countries use their own comparative frameworks.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains no explicit misinformation but suffers from oversimplification. By asking for single "narrowest" and "widest" countries without specifying measurement criteria or regional scope, it invites misleading answers that could misrepresent the complex reality of gender pay gaps.

The question's framing could lead to cherry-picking statistics - different stakeholders might selectively cite Iceland's leadership in overall gender parity ^[1], Luxembourg's unique negative pay gap ^[3], or Belgium's OECD performance ^[2] depending on their agenda. This selective presentation could obscure the fact that gender pay gaps remain a persistent global challenge requiring nuanced, multi-dimensional analysis rather than simple rankings.