The share of men receiving parental benefit increased
According to Statistics Estonia, in 2020, men accounted for slightly more than a fifth of the 34,570 persons receiving parental benefit. The average monthly parental benefit was 1,170 euros for women and 1,638 euros for men. The parental benefit gap was the lowest ever.
Anet Müürsoo, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that the share of men receiving parental benefit grew by nearly a tenth year on year, with a total of 7,423 men receiving parental benefit in 2020. “The difference in the average amount of parental benefit paid to male and female recipients diminished last year, but the gap was still 28.6%. Paternity leave was used by 60% of the fathers who were entitled to it – this means a rise of nearly 2% compared to 2019,” noted Müürsoo.
Occupation-based sex segregation, which reflects the concentration of women and men in different occupations, shows that there would be an equal number of men and women in all occupations in Estonia, if 34% of men or women changed occupation. There would be an equal number of men and women in each economic activity, if 36% of men or women switched to a different economic activity.
“There are more men employed in the economic activities of manufacturing, construction, and transportation and storage, for example, and more women employed in the activities of education and human health and social work activities. Among men, there are significantly more plant and machine operators, while among women there are more professionals and services workers, for example,” added Müürsoo.
Last year, 11.8% of men and 7.2% women worked as managers. A little over 18,000 enterprises with Estonian shareholders were registered – 59.5% of these were founded by men and 27.3% by women. 6.9% of the enterprises were founded jointly by men and women. In the case of 6.3% of the enterprises, the sex of the founders could not be determined. 920 men and 791 women registered as sole proprietors.
Statistics Estonia collects and analyses gender equality data for the Ministry of Social Affairs with the aim to identify changes in the society.
More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.
For further information:
Kadri Kütt
Media Relations Manager
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 625 9181