Gender equality: In the beginning, boys and girls are equal

Girls get the same amount of pocket money as boys, but as they get older they are often much worse off. This data shows how the financial gap grows over a lifetime.

March 8, 2026, 11:00 a.m

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DIW studies show: Girls and boys start life with similar pocket money. But over time, financial inequality is growing, especially between genders. Women earn less, partly due to traditional career choices and unpaid care work. The gender pay gap remains, even in comparable jobs. The economic inequality between the sexes is complex and affects people well into retirement age.

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There are still no economic differences between boys and girls when it comes to pocket money.
© Roberta Sant Anna/unsplash

At the beginning of life everything is the same: girls and boys receive similar amounts of pocket money, studies by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) show. The amount of pocket money depends on the income of the parents, and where they come from also plays a role – but parents make no distinction between sons and daughters (PDF).

However, inequality increases over the course of life. Stand there Men financially significantly better off than women.

That’s why March 8th, International Women’s Day, is not just about equality – but also about numbers. Because that inequality In Germany, it is now possible to measure things surprisingly reliably: in quotas, percentage points and gaps that show who earns how much, owns and later receives as a pension.