The Pink Tax: The Absurd Reason It Costs More to Be a Woman
Trying to make the most of pink tax absurd reason? You are in the right place. Below we break it down in plain English, with practical tips you can actually use.
Key Takeaways
- The Pink Tax: The Absurd Reason It Costs More to Be a Woman Advertiser Disclosure Our readers always come firstThe content on DollarSprout i...
- When you read our content and click on one of our partners’ links, and then decide to complete an offer , whether it’s downloading an app, o...
- Our ultimate goal is to educate and inform, not lure you into signing up for certain offers.
Our readers always come first
The content on DollarSprout includes links to our advertising partners. When you read our content and click on one of our partners’ links, and then decide to complete an offer , whether it’s downloading an app, opening an account, or some other action , we may earn a commission from that advertiser, at no extra cost to you.
Our ultimate goal is to educate and inform, not lure you into signing up for certain offers. Compensation from our partners may impact what products we cover and where they appear on the site, but does not have any impact on the objectivity of our reviews or advice.
Tariffs, manufacturing cost, advertising complexities -- they're all used to explain away why women's products universally cost more than similar items used by men. But are the concerns legit, or is the Pink Tax just a money grab that preys on female consumers?
Written by Jen Smith Last Updated: April 1, 2025 Reviewed by Ben Huber https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9jcV1uSGu4Women endure a slew of disadvantages when it comes to financial security. Studies show that women on average pay more for mortgages, even though they’ve historically been better at paying them back.[1] Women endure a slew of disadvantages when it comes to financial security. Studies show that women on average pay more for mortgages, even though they’ve historically been better at paying them back.
And the U.S. is still the only first-world country that doesn’t mandate paid maternity leave on a federal level. What’s even more overlooked is the small things that women pay more for just because they’re women.
These financial disadvantages are widely referred to as the “pink tax”.
What Is the Pink Tax?
The pink tax is the tendency for products and services marketed to women to cost more than those marketed to men.
The New York Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) compared the prices of almost 800 different male and female versions of products. From baby onesies to adult diapers, the study found that women’s products cost 13% more than comparable men’s products.[2]
Hey Ace, tell me what’s wrong with this picture. @AceHardware #pinktax pic.twitter.com/l4kqZUu6ky
, Tom McDermott (@TomKatMPLS) August 13, 2018
That means that not only do women make only 85 cents for every dollar a man makes, but gender pricing causes them to pay an average of 13 cents more per dollar for basic necessities.[3]
Why does a “gender tax” exist?
Part of why the pink tax exists is from data that shows women enjoy and do more shopping than men.[4] Because women are doing more shopping, they’re buying more female-centric products and companies drive up prices based on supply and demand.
Another part comes down to logistics. Female military uniforms cost more than male uniforms because of lower production quantities and higher material costs.[5] And the average tariff on imported women’s clothing is 15.1% compared to 11.9% for men’s clothing.[6]
There’s also the literal tax on female hygiene products. Even when legislation is introduced that would eliminate it, it’s difficult to pass due to the revenue it would cost the state.
When New York eliminated its tax on menstrual products, the state lost $14 million a year in tax revenue.[7] And in California, former Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill in 2016 that would have eliminated the state’s tax on menstrual products for fear that the state would lose $20 million in annual taxes.[8]
Some people also argue that the pink tax isn’t real or exists because women’s products have more ingredients, use more expensive components, or require more skilled designers to create.
That myth has been consistently debunked by product researchers who’ve found numerous items are the same or have variances so slight they wouldn’t warrant a significant cost difference.
Pink Tax Examples: What Products & Services Are Affected?
Whether you’re buying safety gear or ordering office supplies, every industry, service, and product is affected by the pink tax in some way.
Clothes & dry cleaningThe DCA study found that clothes for adult women cost an average of 8% more than similar men’s garments. The greatest disparity was in shirts. For every two analogous shirts from the same retailer, the women’s cut version cost an average of 15% more than the men’s. Even school uniforms for girls are more expensive than those for boys.[9]
And as a woman, if you want your clothes dry cleaned you’ll also pay more. A study in Gender Issues found that women pay an average of $3.95 per shirt while men pay $2.06.[10]
View this post on Instagram
Personal hygiene
56% percent of all personal care products marketed for women are more expensive than those marketed toward men. Shampoo and conditioner alone cost 48% more than comparable men’s products.
Women also have the added expense of having to purchase makeup and specialty hair care prod
Final Thoughts
Before you check out, double-check pink tax absurd reason against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.
Originally published at dollarsprout.com.
Jen Smith
Our editorial team researches and verifies every money-saving guide before publishing. Editorial policy · About us
