Transparency data

Companies House gender pay gap report 2025

Published 27 March 2026

1. Executive summary

Companies House has prepared this report as part of the legal requirement for public authorities to publish their gender pay gap each year.

Companies House is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade. As at 31 March 2025, we employed 1,861 staff (an increase of 552 from the previous year) reflecting our continued growth and evolving workforce.

Companies House is committed to promoting gender equality and transparency. We have reported a reduction in the gender pay gap, indicating progress but we acknowledge more work is needed for full parity. Throughout the reporting year, we focused on data-driven interventions such as promoting gender diversity in technical roles, supporting women through networks like the Menopause Network and enhancing early female talent pipelines in male-dominated sectors. We also improved people data analytics to better track trends, measure results and guide further actions toward gender equality.

Our commitment to closing the gender pay gap remains firm. We will continue to review our activities, engage with employee networks and implement innovative strategies to ensure equitable representation and opportunity throughout Companies House.

2. Introduction

This report sets out Companies House’s gender pay gap position for the financial year 2024 to 2025. The report presents gender pay gap data in line with legal reporting requirements as well as voluntary additional information which is provided for internal purposes only. The quantitative analysis aligns with the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES) as at 31 March 2025, and where applicable, the Civil Service Statistics published in July 2025.

The gender pay gap shows the difference in the average pay between all men and women in a workforce.

The gender pay gap is different from equal pay. Equal pay deals with pay differences between men and women who carry out the same jobs, similar jobs or work of equal value.

3. Methodology

Gender pay gaps are calculated using mean pay and median pay.

Mean pay:

• is the average hourly rate of pay
• is more sensitive to extremes in salary differences

Median pay:

• is the midpoint hourly rate of pay
• is not pulled up or down by the very highest or lowest salaries

Calculations are based on:

• ordinary pay (excluding overtime)
• bonus pay received in the 12 months before 31 March 2025 - bonus payments cover the reward and recognition schemes at Companies House (the Instant Award, the Chief Executive Award and the Impact Award)
• people employed on 31 March 2025

Gender data is based on information provided by employees and recorded in the organisation’s human resources and payroll system at the time of reporting.

Where the median bonus for one or both genders is £0, a median bonus pay gap cannot be calculated and is shown as ‘not calculable’.

For ease, references to financial years are shortened to the year of their end date. For example, the financial year 2024 to 2025 is referred to as 2025 in this report.

4. Findings

4.1 Headline results

Figure 1 shows that, as of 31 March 2025, Companies House’s mean and median gender pay gaps are at the lowest level since 2022. From 2024 to 2025, both the mean and median gender pay gaps have shown a downward trend. This reflects progress in workforce distribution and progression.

The mean gender pay gap is 7.9% in favour of men, which is a reduction of 5 percentage points from 12.9% in 2024. This reduction can primarily be attributed to a change in workforce composition. There is increased female representation in higher paid roles (figure 6) and a reduction in the concentration of males at the top of the pay distribution (figure 9).

The median gender pay gap is 6.2% in favour of men, which is a decrease of 12.1 percentage points from 18.3% in 2024. A lower median gap indicates that pay differences at the centre of the workforce have narrowed. This shift suggests that changes have occurred across the centre of the workforce.

Figure 1: Mean and median gender pay gaps over the past 4 financial years

Financial year	Mean gender pay gap	Median gender pay gap
31 March 2022	10.3%	18.1%
31 March 2023	12.4%	18.3%
31 March 2024	12.9%	18.3%
31 March 2025	7.9%	6.2%

Figure 1 shows that for the first time since 2022, the median gender pay gap is below the mean gender pay gap. The median reflects the typical employee. A lower median gap indicates that pay differences at the centre of the workforce have narrowed. This suggests structural improvement in the mix of grades and representation across frequently occurring roles.

Figure 2: Comparative mean and median gender pay gaps - Civil Service versus Companies House

Organisation	Mean gender pay gap	Median gender pay gap
Companies House	7.9%	6.2%
Civil Service	6.9%	6.4%

Figure 2 shows that in 2025, the Civil Service’s overall mean gender pay gap was 6.9% and the median gender pay gap was 6.4%. This represented the lowest recorded levels since gender pay gap reporting began. Against this benchmark, Companies House’s mean gender pay gap of 7.9% is one percentage point higher than the Civil Service average, while the median gender pay gap of 6.2% is marginally lower.

The mean gender pay gap (7.9%), which remains slightly above the Civil Service average (6.9%), reflects the ongoing impact of imbalanced gender distribution across the pay spectrum. While representation of women in the upper quartile has improved, women remain overrepresented in the lower and lower middle quartiles. This continues to reduce average earnings and contributes to the residual mean gap.  

The data indicates that the gender pay gap is no longer broadly embedded across the organisation but is influenced by distribution at both the lower and upper ends of the pay structure. 

4.2 Bonus gender pay gap

Figure 3: Mean and median gender pay gaps for bonuses over the past 4 financial years

Financial year	Mean bonus gender pay gap	Median bonus gender pay gap
31 March 2022	-2.4%	5.5%
31 March 2023	9%	0%
31 March 2024	2.2%	0%
31 March 2025	6.2%	0%

Figure 3 shows the evolution of the gender pay gap for bonuses since 2022. Whilst the median indicates that bonus outcomes for many employees are closely aligned, uneven gender representation among the highest bonus recipients continues to widen the overall average in favour of men. 

 Since 2022, the mean gender pay gap for bonuses exceeds the median. This reflects the impact of a relatively small number of higher value bonuses, which disproportionately influence the mean figure. Figure 3 shows that: 

• the mean bonus gender pay gap for 2025 is 6.2% in favour of men - an increase of 4 percentage points from 2.2% in 2024  
• the median bonus gender pay gap for 2025 remains unchanged at 0% - women and men received the same bonus at the midpoint of the distribution

Figure 4: Percentage of employees receiving a bonus (men compared to women)

Financial year	Percentage of men receiving a bonus	Percentage of women receiving a bonus
31 March 2022	32.8%	31.2%
31 March 2023	41.9%	38.1%
31 March 2024	42.6%	45%
31 March 2025	40.8%	45.3%

Figure 4 shows that in 2025, a higher proportion of women than men received an in-year bonus payment: 

• 45.3% of women received an in-year bonus payment 

• 40.8% of men received an in-year bonus payment 

This 4.5% difference between women and men, in favour of women, is greater than in previous years.

4.3 Gender representation by grade

Figure 5 shows that the Companies House workforce is broadly gender balanced overall, with women representing a slight majority (53% of the workforce, down slightly from 54% in 2024). Companies House’s overall gender mix (47% men, 53% women) is close to the UK national population balance (49% men, 51% women), with a slightly higher proportion of women overall. This suggests the workforce broadly reflects the gender makeup of the wider UK working-age population.

Figure 5: Companies House gender composition by grade for the financial year 2025 versus 2024

Grade	Percentage of women in 2024	Percentage of women in 2025	Percentage of men in 2024	Percentage of men in 2025
Administrative assistant (AA)/administrative officer (AO)	64%	60%	36%	40%
Executive officer (EO)	55%	53%	45%	47%
Higher executive officer (HEO)/senior executive officer (SEO)	47%	47%	53%	53%
Grade 7/Grade 6	52%	46%	48%	54%
Senior Civil Service (SCS)	56%	56%	44%	44%

Companies House’s gender distribution varies by grade, with female representation strongest at junior levels and more mixed at senior grades. Here’s the gender distribution by grade for 2025. 

Administrative assistant (AA)/administrative officer (AO) 

Women are the clear majority (60%), decreasing from 64% in 2024. This indicates a strong concentration of women at entry and junior grades. 

Executive officer (EO) 

Representation is broadly balanced, with women holding a slight majority (53%), up from 55% in 2024. 

Higher executive officer (HEO)/senior executive officer (SEO)

Men form a modest majority (53%), with representation unchanged from 2024. This suggests stability but limited movement toward greater gender balance at this level. 

Grade 7/Grade 6

Men remain the majority (54%). However, this represents a shift from 2024, when women were the majority (52%). This indicates some recent movement in senior employee pipeline composition. 

Senior Civil Service (SCS)

Women are the majority (56%), though numbers are very small, meaning percentages should be interpreted with caution.

4.4 Gender pay distribution by quartile

This section outlines the gender pay distribution by quartile. We call them the lower, lower middle, lower upper, and upper quartiles.  

This analysis shows that men remain overrepresented in the upper and upper middle quartiles.  

Between 2022 and 2024, women were disproportionately concentrated in the lower paid quartiles, contributing to a higher average pay gap. The 2025 data shows a rebalancing across quartiles, which aligns with the significant reduction in both mean and median gender pay gaps.

Lower pay quartile 

Figure 6: Percentage of men and women in the lower pay quartile

Financial year	Percentage of women in lower quartile	Percentage of men in lower quartile
31 March 2022	65.5%	34.5%
31 March 2023	66.1%	33.9%
31 March 2024	64.1%	35.9%
31 March 2025	57.8%	42.2%

Figure 6 shows that women continue to be overrepresented in the lower pay quartile. However, their representation has decreased significantly from 64.1% in 2024 to 57.8% in 2025. This is the most significant year-on-year change since 2022 and suggests movement away from historic concentration at the lowest pay levels.

Lower middle pay quartile

Figure 7: Percentage of men and women in the lower middle pay quartile

Financial year	Percentage of women in lower middle quartile	Percentage of men in lower middle quartile
31 March 2022	62.8%	37.2%
31 March 2023	61.5%	38.5%
31 March 2024	59%	41%
31 March 2025	59%	41%

Figure 7 shows that representation in the lower middle pay quartile has remained stable year-on-year at 59% women. This indicates limited change at this level. 

Upper middle pay quartile 

Figure 8: Percentage of men and women in the upper middle pay quartile

Financial year	Percentage of women in upper middle quartile	Percentage of men in upper middle quartile
31 March 2022	50.9%	49.1%
31 March 2023	55.5%	44.5%
31 March 2024	54.6%	45.4%
31 March 2025	48.8%	51.2%

As shown in figure 8, the upper middle pay quartile shows a more pronounced shift in 2025. Women make up 48.8% of the upper middle pay quartile, compared with 54.6% in 2024. There is now a slight male majority.

Upper pay quartile 

Figure 9: Percentage of men and women in the upper pay quartile

Financial year	Percentage of women in upper quartile	Percentage of men in upper quartile
31 March 2022	45.1%	54.9%
31 March 2023	40.5%	59.5%
31 March 2024	39.7%	60.3%
31 March 2025	45.8%	54.2%

At the upper pay quartile, women’s representation increased from 39.7% in 2024 to 45.8% in 2025, narrowing the gender imbalance at the highest pay levels. While men continue to represent a majority in the upper quartile, this improvement suggests early progress in female representation in more senior roles.

5. Targeted action to reduce and close the gender pay gap

5.1 Closing the gap

Since we first reported the gender pay gap in 2017, Companies House has consistently implemented and evaluated a range of targeted actions to address and reduce the gender pay gap. Our interventions are evidence-based, data-driven and outcomes-focused. 

Key activity over the reporting period has included the following.

Outreach and innovation 

Our initiatives have focused on increasing gender diversity, particularly in digital and security-vetted sectors which are traditionally male dominated.  

Our efforts included attending careers fairs and expos to attract a more balanced candidate pool, planning early talent pipelines, and launching apprenticeship schemes. Notably, the Digital Infrastructure Engineer Level 4 apprenticeship recruited a female candidate, and the software degree apprenticeship campaign achieved a 50% female intake.  

These activities have strengthened female representation in technical roles, supporting progress towards closing the gender pay gap by promoting equitable access to higher-paid positions. 

Menopause  

The Menopause Network is open to anyone affected by perimenopause or menopause, as well as their supporters and those interested in learning more. The group provides guidance, peer support, manager advice and resources.  

Feedback from the annual People Survey has helped shape the network’s initiatives. There has been a 38% increase in menopause-related responses and a 9% rise in membership, enabling more targeted support for members. 

The network’s main activities have included:  

• marking World Menopause Day with a focus on lifestyle medicine 
• delivering awareness sessions 
• promoting menopause-related webinars 
• hosting regular meetings 
• collaborating with other government departments at Civil Service Live events 

These initiatives support equitable access and inclusion, contributing to efforts to close the gender pay gap by addressing wellbeing and workplace support for women. 

People policies 

During financial year 2025, Companies House introduced and revised several key policies aimed at supporting progress on the gender pay gap.  

We updated the family leave policy to align with employment law, including:  

• enhanced guidance for employees on leave 
• clearer information about keeping in touch and shared parental leave days  
• increased protection from redundancy 

We revised flexible working provisions and updated partner and shared parental leave policies, ensuring greater support for family responsibilities and equitable workplace practices. 

We launched new policies to further promote inclusion and equal opportunity, notably carer’s leave, career break and reservists policies. These policies contribute to closing the gender pay gap by improving support, flexibility and protection for employees, enabling a more inclusive environment where all colleagues can thrive. 

Dignity at work policy – discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation   

This policy sets out our commitment to making sure all colleagues are treated with respect and are aware that discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation are unacceptable behaviours at Companies House. At work, each of us should feel respected and part of inclusive, diverse, and welcoming teams.  

We have also introduced a dignity at work managers’ toolkit. Our CEO and executive team have committed to an action plan and leadership statement to help address bullying, harassment and discrimination.  

Women’s Network  

The Women’s Network at Companies House has actively championed gender equality and provided a platform for women’s voices through a range of initiatives and activities.  

The network’s key actions included: 

• facilitating opportunities for colleagues to connect, collaborate and provide mutual support, fostering a more inclusive and positive workplace culture 
• supporting external engagement, such as serving on a panel for the British Computer Science (Women) event, broadening the dialogue on gender representation beyond Companies House 
• sharing survey results with our equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) steering group to ensure women’s perspectives are heard and contribute to organisational planning 
• leading charitable initiatives, including an appeal for Women’s Aid as part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, demonstrating commitment to supporting women both within and outside the organisation 
• marking International Women’s Day 2025 with an ‘Accelerate Action’ event, enabling colleagues to participate in person or virtually and engage with a variety of speakers, further promoting awareness and dialogue around gender equality 

Through these actions, the Women’s Network continues to play a vital role in advancing gender equality, amplifying the voices of women to support an inclusive environment at Companies House. 

Introducing new values 

Our new values show our commitment to a respectful, inclusive, and supportive culture at Companies House. Updated policies on carer’s leave, career break, and dignity at work lay the groundwork for an environment that protects all colleagues from discrimination and harassment, helping address the gender pay gap by supporting equal opportunity. 

We are integrating these values into our People Strategic Plan by implementing enhanced line management, strengthening employee networks, leveraging improved data-driven insights and advancing efforts to close the gender pay gap. Maintaining Disability Confident Leader status highlights our dedication to fairness and an inclusive workplace where everyone can succeed.

5.2 What we plan to do

Companies House has an ongoing commitment to advance and implement measures that address the gender pay gap. As part of this commitment, we will include actions to further improve the gender pay gap in our People Strategic Plan. This will ensure that fostering inclusivity remains a core expectation in every aspect of our work at Companies House. 

5.3 Priority areas

Continue embedding the cross-government Line Manager Standards and develop line management capability to build effective and inclusive team cultures. Launch our management development program aligned with line management standards. 

Continue developing a clear structure for how Companies House works with employee networks including the Women’s Network and Menopause Network. This will involve promoting information, development opportunities and supporting engagement in employee networks. 

Introduce new data collection and analysis methods across the employee lifecycle to better understand the key points where gender disparities may arise. This will enable us to target interventions more effectively and support meaningful progress in closing the gender pay gap. 

Demonstrate our commitment to fair treatment and inclusive cultures in the workplace by maintaining our Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) status. 

Continue actively engaging with our workforce to further explore the reasons for our pay and bonus gaps.