A gender income gap is constraining the consumer market in Africa and the Middle East, according to research analyst Euromonitor.
New figures from the company show that the average annual disposable income of women in the Middle East and Africa was 67.4% less than that of men in those regions in 2012, at $1,627.
The income differential - which is the highest anywhere in the world - restricts consumer market potential, said Euromonitor, because it is women who make the majority of purchasing decisions in the household.
The reason for the disparity is mainly due to the low participation of women in the labour force. Comparatively, democracies have the lowest income gap, with Israel (where women’s disposable income is 68% of that of men) leading the way.
Despite this, the figures are predicted to improve in the Middle East and Africa, with a rise of 21% in women’s annual disposable income across the region expected between 2013 to 2020.