Where does the world stand in terms of gender parity? According to the newest edition of the Global Gender Gap Report, at the current rate of progress, it will take more than a century to close the global gender gap.
The report, published annually by the World Economic Forum, synthesizes available data to calculate the Global Gender Gap Index, a single metric that is calculated using indicators for men and women in four domains: economic opportunities, education, health, and political leadership. The Global Gender Gap Index tracks progress towards global gender parity and compare countries’ gender gaps across the four domains.
Based on data from the 146 countries included in this year’s report, the overall Gender Gap Index score was 68.4 percent, only slightly improved from last year, and about the same as pre-pandemic levels. The top five performing countries (Iceland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, and Germany) have closed at least 80 percent of their gender gap. The bottom five performing countries (Pakistan, Iran, Algeria, Chad, and Afghanistan) have gender gaps ranging from 57.5 percent in Pakistan to 40.5 percent in Afghanistan.
The report also displays subindex scores, which illuminate how each of the four domains contribute to the overall gender gap. Results this year showed that the highest level of gender parity has been achieved in health and education, with the gender gaps closing by 96 percent and 95.2 percent respectively. The lowest level of gender parity has been achieved for economic opportunities and political leadership with the gender gaps closing by only 60.1 percent and 22.1 percent, respectively.
Understanding the underlying causes of gender-related health inequities is critical to improving global health. Tracking global progress on gender parity can contribute to this understanding and draw attention to the most important gaps. Educators may find companion resources from the report useful as teaching materials, such as a summary of key findings, a digital version of the report, shareable infographics, and country profiles.
To learn more about global gender equity and gender-related health disparities, explore these related resources available in our online repository:
Selected Reports
- Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2022
- State of World Population 2023– 8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities: The Case for Rights and Choices
- 2023 Global Social Norms Index
- Progress on the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health