UNICEF UK pay gaps reduce across all characteristics

LONDON, 17 March 2025 – UNICEF UK has released its latest pay gap report, with the charity reporting a reduction in pay gaps across gender, ethnicity, disability and LGBTQIA+. For the first time, the report also looks at data on socio-economic background.

The children’s charity has deliberately reported on more than the statutory minimum gender pay gap as part of an ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability. The ultimate aim is to reduce all the pay gaps as close as possible to zero. Equity, diversity and inclusion are central to UNICEF UK’s vision of a better world for every child. The charity is focused on creating a culture that empowers and enables all colleagues to deliver their best work for children.

This year’s pay gap report is based on people data from 5 April 2025. The report shows:

• Gender – the median gender pay gap is down to minus 0.6%, in favour of women. That’s a fall from 0.1% in 2024. In 2022, the gap was at 7.2%. The national median is 6.9% (ONS, 2025).
• Ethnicity – the gap is 8.7%. It has decreased for the fourth year in a row and fallen 3.5% since 2024. But it’s still larger than UNICEF UK would like, largely because of a lower representation of global majority colleagues in higher paid roles. 95% of employees shared ethnicity data.
• Disability – the disability pay gap has reduced to 5.8%, down from 10.1% in 2024. The national disability pay gap is 12.7% (ONS 2023). The proportion of UNICEF UK colleagues who declare having a disability is continuing to rise and is now at 11%.
• LGBTQIA+ – this is the second year UNICEF UK has reported on the LGBTQIA+ pay gap. It compares average pay of heterosexual cisgender staff with the average pay of LGBTQIA+ colleagues. The pay gap is 10.3%, down from 12.6% in 2024.
• Socio-economic background – this is the first year the report has included data on socio-economic background. It compares average pay of those who identify being in a professional or ‘higher’ socio-economic background and those who identify as being in an intermediate or working-class background. The median pay gap here is 0.5%. This category was only added to UNICEF UK’s diversity monitoring form in 2024. Since then, 59% of colleagues shared their socio-economic background data, something UNICEF UK aims to significantly improve on.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries around the world, protecting children’s rights and providing life-changing support, such as healthcare and vaccinations, clean water and nutrition and safe spaces to play and learn. To ensure colleagues are doing their best work for children, UNICEF UK needs a culture and workforce that is inclusive and diverse.

Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive at UNICEF UK, said: “We want to be as transparent as we can when it comes to pay gap reporting, and that’s why we analyse more than the standard minimum gender pay gap. We’re really pleased to see that pay gaps across all characteristics have reduced, but this definitely isn’t job done.

“We’re creating an inclusive and diverse organisation at UNICEF UK, where everyone feels respected, valued and empowered. But there’s much more we need to achieve. Our priorities include increasing diversity in senior roles through targeted recruitment, ensuring access to learning, development and progression is fair and equitable and building awareness of power and privilege.”

You can read UNICEF UK’s full pay gap report here: Our Pay Declaration – UNICEF UK

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Notes to editors:   

For more information, please contact the UNICEF UK media team on 0207 375 6030 /  [email protected] 

About UNICEF  

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.

United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland).

For more information visit unicef.org.uk. Follow UNICEF UK on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.