Men work 7.5 years longer in Cyprus compared to women

Source: Eurostat

The expected average duration of working life for 15-year-olds in the EU was 37.9 years in Cyprus in 2021, above the EU average of 36.0 years, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU.

The indicator of duration of working life is an estimation of the number of years a person, at the current age of 15 years, is expected to be in the labor force (i.e. to be employed or unemployed) throughout his or her life.

Cyprus however is also the country with the fourth-largest gender gap in the EU, with men expected to work for 7.5 years more than women.

Since 2001, the expected average duration of working life steadily increased in the EU, then declined for the first time in 2020 because of the COVID-19 health crisis.

The expected average duration rose from 32.0 years in 2001 to 35.9 years in 2019, then down to 35.6 years in 2020, before returning to its pre-pandemic level in 2021.

Among the EU Member States, the expected average duration of working life varied broadly. In 2021, the highest durations in the EU were recorded in the Netherlands (42.5 years), Sweden (42.3 years) and Denmark (40.3 years).

By contrast, the lowest durations of working life were recorded in Romania (31.3 years), Italy (31.6 years) and Greece (32.9 years).

There were also significant differences recorded regarding the expected duration of working life between men and women. Men were expected to have a duration of working life of 38.2 years on average in the EU, while the average duration for women was at 33.7 years.

The gender gap in Cyprus is significant since the expected duration of working life was calculated at 41.6 for men and at 34.1 for women.

For men, the longest duration was recorded in the Netherlands (44.3 years) and Sweden (43.6 years), and the shortest in Bulgaria (34.6 years) and Romania (35.0 years).

For women, the longest duration was also recorded in Sweden (41.0 years) and the Netherlands (40.5 years), but the shortest was in Italy (26.9 years) and Romania (27.4 years).

Although men are expected to work longer than women, the gender gap has reduced in the EU with the growing participation of women in the labor market (the gender gap was +4.5 years in 2021 compared with +7.0 years in 2001).

In 2021, this gender gap was most pronounced in Italy (+9.1 years), followed by Malta (+8.4 years) and Romania (+7.6 years). Cyprus follows in fourth place with 7.5 years.