Oxfam-ITUC analysis says CEO pay rose faster than worker pay in 2025
Analytical frames for this storyTap to explore
The Facts
- Oxfam and the International Trade Union Confederation published an analysis on International Workers' Day comparing CEO pay with worker pay globally.
- The analysis was based on pay data from 1,500 companies in 33 countries.
- According to the analysis, CEO pay rose 11% in real terms in 2025, while average worker pay rose 0.5%, meaning CEO pay grew about 20 times faster that year.
- The report says the average CEO received about $8.4 million in compensation in 2025, up from about $7.6 million in 2024.
- The analysis says that from 2019 to 2025, CEO compensation rose 54% in real terms while global real wages fell 12%.
- Several reports citing the analysis say the findings indicate a widening gap between top executive pay and workers' earnings or purchasing power since the pandemic period.
- The report's estimates imply that, at 2025 pay levels, an average worker would need about 490 years to earn what an average CEO makes in one year.
Context
What is the main finding of the report?
The central finding is that CEO pay at large companies increased much faster than worker pay in 2025: 11% in real terms for CEOs versus 0.5% for workers, or about 20 times faster Guardian,Franceinfo,Fortune.
What data did the analysis use?
Reports say Oxfam and the ITUC used compensation data for 1,500 companies across 33 countries, drawing on the S&P Capital IQ database wallstreet:online,newsORF.at.
Why does this matter beyond executive pay?
The findings are being used to highlight a broader gap in income growth and purchasing power: multiple reports say CEO pay has risen sharply since 2019 while workers' real wages remain below 2019 levels globally, pointing to a wider earnings divide N-tv,tagesschau.de,Frankfurter Allgeme….
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