Inequality and Wealth: Comparing the Gender Wealth Gap in Switzerland and Australia

Although the gender gap in incomes has been extensively researched, scant attention has been paid the gender wealth gap. This paper compares the gender wealth gap in Australia with that of Switzerland. Using data from the 2010 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) and the 2012 Swiss Household Panel (SHP), we find that the gender wealth gap can be attributed to differences in permanent income and education. Furthermore, the gender wealth gap is much larger in Switzerland than in Australia. We link this finding to the type of wealth held by individuals in these two countries. Differences in wealth accumulation among women in Switzerland and Australia are likely to be linked to the housing market and to family policies for (single) mothers.