The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between income and financial resources on the one hand, and the intensity of envy experienced by men and women on the other. The hypothesis tested posited that the intensity of envy would decrease as a function of increasing income, which is typically associated with higher levels of education.

The present study utilised a sample of 1,769 individuals from the Czech Republic to explore gender disparities in expressed envy. The research questionnaire encompassed inquiries into the sources of envy among both men and women, with additional indicators including the respondents' net monthly family income. This was then juxtaposed with their verbal responses concerning the intensity and nature of their envy towards the opposite sex. A total of eight income categories were considered, and the amount of envy shown by men and women was compared with these categories.

Friedman's test revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between income groups and objects on which respondents focused their envy for men (χ²(6) = 3.26, p = 0.662) or women (χ²(7) = 7.01, p = 0.188). The smaller number of degrees of freedom in the male sample was due to the adjustment of the data for outliers. Consequently, it can be concluded that the objects of envy remain relatively consistent across different income groups within a given gender. Subsequently, the values of the male and female groups across all income groups were compared, without differentiating by objects of envy, as the total value of envy expressed. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed a statistically significant difference in the absolute value of envy between men and women (U = 0, z = -3.31, p = 0.00094). The mean ranking was found to be lower for males (2.25) in comparison to females (6.25), thereby indicating a systematic difference between the two groups. Males achieved a mean score of 53.49 (SD = 5.44), while females attained a mean score of 85.28 (SD = 14.25) when considering absolute values.

The findings indicate that women experience elevated levels of envy towards the opposite sex, while the financial security of women exhibits no significant impact on their envy levels. This suggests that irrespective of a woman's financial status, she will always experience envy towards men who possess a higher salary. The study further demonstrates that financial and educational resources do not serve as a protective factor against envy. This study offers novel insights into gender disparities in the experience of envy, demonstrating its independence from economic factors.

Keywords: Envy, gender difference, education comparison, economic factors.