Men earn higher salaries than women everywhere in Iceland, but in the
countryside, their wages are 40% higher than women, as opposed to a 10%
wage difference in the capital area. By national average, Icelandic men make 19.5% more money than women, according to a study conducted by the Social Science Department of the University of Iceland. The study did take into consideration working hours, occupation, sector, education, and whether those polled were employees or managers.
Sociologist with the Equal Rights Office Tryggvi Hallgrímsson pointed out that the “countryside” covers a large area – basically anything in Iceland that isn’t Reyakjvík or the surrounding area – and so it was difficult to judge the entire area as one.
In the public sector, a wage gender gap only existed among those who had finished continuing education. Then, the wage difference was 28%. In private industry, men made 25% more money than women.