(BRUSSELS) - The pay gap between men and women in Europe is narrowing but the difference still amounts to almost 16 percent, according to new data released Thursday.

The average gender pay gap across the 27-nation European Union dipped to 15.9 percent last year from 16.2 percent in 2006, according to the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

While still substantial, the difference in pay between men and women doing similar jobs has dropped almost every year since it stood at 20.4 percent in 2001, the report showed.

In the 12 newest, mostly eastern European, member states the gender gap was higher on average at 17.8 percent.

The biggest inequity was recorded in Slovakia with 26.9 percent while Slovenian women enjoyed the best pay deals last year, trailing just 6.9 percent behind their male counterparts.

Belgium, Greece, Ireland and Italy also showed gender wage gaps of less than 10 percent while Cyprus, the Czech republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal had a comparatively wide gap of 20 percent or more.

Elsewhere in their study, the Dublin-based foundation reported that average real wage increases for European workers fell to 2.3 percent last year from 2.7 percent in 2006.

Full text of report on pay developments - European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.