According to a new report from national statistics keeper Danmarks Statistik, an increasing number of women in Denmark are the primary income earners in relationships.

The report, which looks into the disposable income of men and women, showed that the share of women under 65 with the highest disposable income in relationships has increased from 22 percent in 1990 to 31 percent in 2015.

“One explanation could be that the number of unemployed men increases the most during recessions,” said Jarl Quitzau, a consultant with Danmarks Statistik.

“Moreover, men often have a higher investment income and are therefore hit harder than women during downturns in the economy.”

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Narrowing gap
The report (here in Danish) also showed that men’s disposable income median in 2015 was 205,200 kroner, compared to 170,800 kroner for women. That 17 percent gap is smaller than it was in 1990, when the gap was at 22 percent.

And there are other signs that the income disparity is narrowing. In 1990 the biggest income differences between men and women were seen among 40 to 65-year-olds. In 2015, however, the biggest gap was among 65 to 75-year-olds.

The largest income difference was seen among 73-year-olds, where the disposable income of men was 25 percent greater than that of women.