What is the gender pension gap in Ireland?

Eurostat’s 2024 data show an average gross pension gap of about 31% for women aged 65+ in Ireland compared with men; the median gap was about 24%. These are pension-income measures, not pension-coverage rates.

Does MyFutureFund close the gender pension gap?

MyFutureFund can improve pension participation for eligible employees without a payroll pension, but it does not by itself remove differences caused by earnings, contribution history, hours worked or time out of paid work.

Gender pension gap in Ireland: what the numbers actually mean

The direct answer

Ireland’s gender pension gap is not one single number. Eurostat’s 2024 data show that women aged 65 and over in Ireland received an average gross pension about 31% lower than men. Using the median instead of the average, the gap was about 24%. Separately, the CSO found that in 2025, 66% of female workers aged 20–69 had supplementary pension cover, compared with 68% of male workers. These measures are describing different things: whether someone has pension cover is not the same as the amount of pension income they ultimately receive.

31%Approximate Irish average gender pension gap, 2024. Eurostat.

24%Approximate Irish median gender pension gap, 2024. Eurostat.

66% vs 68%Supplementary pension coverage for female vs male workers, Q3 2025. CSO.

The Eurostat pension-income measure covers people aged 65+ and includes gross pension income. The CSO coverage figures relate to supplementary pension coverage among workers aged 20–69 and exclude the State Pension. They should not be treated as interchangeable statistics.

Why can a small coverage gap sit beside a much larger pension-income gap?

Because “having a pension” is a yes-or-no measure. It does not tell us when contributions started, how much went in, how many years contributions continued, whether earnings were full-time or part-time, what the employer added, or what happened during periods out of paid work.

That distinction matters particularly for women because retirement outcomes are built over decades. Pay, working hours, caring responsibilities, career interruptions, employer pension structures and the time money has to grow can all affect the eventual result. A pension gap at 65 is often the accumulated result of many earlier differences rather than one decision made close to retirement.

Four places where the gap can build

1. Earnings and contributions compound together

Where pension contributions are a percentage of salary, lower lifetime earnings generally mean lower euro contributions. The same applies where an employer contribution is linked to pensionable salary. Even when two people are both “covered”, their pension funding can be very different.

2. Time out of paid work can affect more than one pension

A career break can affect workplace pension saving and employer contributions. It can also affect the State Pension record, although Ireland has caring supports that may protect qualifying periods. HomeCaring Periods can count certain full-time caring periods towards the State Pension (Contributory) under the Total Contributions Approach, subject to the scheme conditions.

3. Maternity leave and unpaid leave are not the same thing

The Pensions Authority explains that during qualifying maternity absence, occupational benefit schemes must preserve membership and pension rights as if the member were at work and being paid normally. Unpaid additional maternity leave can be different. Maternity Benefit also provides PRSI credits; additional unpaid leave may require credits to be applied for. This is why checking the workplace pension and the PRSI record separately matters.

4. Starting again does not automatically repair the lost years

Returning to work is important, but the pension does not necessarily “catch up” by itself. A woman may want to review the employer scheme, current contribution levels, previous pension pots and whether additional contributions such as AVCs are worth considering. That is a planning question, not a reason to rush into a product.

Does MyFutureFund solve the problem?

It should improve pension participation for many employees who previously had no payroll pension. In 2026, eligible employees contribute 1.5% of gross pay, employers match 1.5% and the State adds 0.5%; the rates are scheduled to rise over time.

That is significant. But auto-enrolment addresses participation. It cannot on its own remove differences created by earnings, hours, contribution histories or time out of paid work. It is one part of the pension system, not a complete answer to the gender pension gap.

What should a woman in Ireland check now?

Find every pension you already have. Current employer scheme, old workplace pensions, PRSAs and any preserved benefits.
Check the actual euro contribution. Your percentage, employer percentage and the salary figure those percentages are based on.
Review your PRSI Contribution Statement. Look for gaps around caring, maternity, illness, unemployment or time abroad.
Check whether caring supports apply. HomeCaring Periods, the Homemaker’s Scheme or Long-Term Carers Contributions may be relevant depending on the period and circumstances.
Look at career breaks and reduced hours separately. Ask what happened to employer contributions and pensionable service, not just your own contribution.
If you are back at work, review rather than panic. AVCs may be one option, but first understand your retirement-income gap, affordability, tax limits and scheme rules.
If you are in MyFutureFund, know what is actually going in. If you are not, understand why — for example, because you already contribute to a pension through payroll.

A number is useful only if it leads to a better question

The 31% headline is important because it tells us there is a material difference in retirement income between women and men in Ireland. But it should not become another statistic that makes an individual woman feel she is already too late.

A better response is to make the invisible parts visible: what you have, what is going in, where the gaps are, what your State Pension record shows and what one realistic next move would improve your position.

Sources

This article is general financial education. It does not provide a personal pension recommendation, investment advice, tax advice or legal advice. Individual suitability decisions should be taken with an appropriately authorised adviser or professional.