Global Gender Parity Improves Marginally in 2025.
he 19th edition of the Global Gender Gap Index 2025, released by the World Economic Forum, reveals that the world has closed 68.8% of the gender gap, marking a slight improvement of 0.3 percentage points from last year. Despite steady gains, full global gender parity is still 123 years away, based on current trends.
The index assesses 148 economies and offers a detailed trend analysis using data from 100 economies consistently tracked since 2006.
- Iceland – 92.6%
- Finland – 87.9%
- Norway – 86.3%
- United Kingdom – 83.8%
- New Zealand – 82.7%
- Sweden – 81.7%
- Republic of Moldova – 81.3%
- Namibia – 81.1%
- Germany – 80.3%
- Ireland – 80.1%
European countries dominate the top 10, with eight spots, reflecting consistent commitment to gender equality over the years.
💼 Economics and Politics: The Biggest Barriers to Gender Equality
Despite progress, the most persistent gender gaps remain in:
- Economic Participation and Opportunity – 61.0% closed
- Political Empowerment – only 22.9% closed
Although Health (96.2%) and Education (95.1%) have nearly achieved parity globally, the gaps in workforce participation and leadership representation are widening concerns.
“We’ve seen the most gains in Political Empowerment, but it still remains the slowest to close—at this rate, it will take 162 years to achieve full parity,” the report highlights.
💡 Long-Term Trends: Some Progress, But Not Fast Enough
Across the 100 economies tracked since 2006:
- Political Empowerment has improved by 9 percentage points, from 14.3% to 23.4%.
- Economic Participation has improved by 5.6 percentage points, from 55.1% to 60.7%.
Still, at current rates:
- Full political parity may take 162 years
- Economic equality may take 135 years
“Equality is inching forward, but not at a pace fast enough to match the urgency of today’s social and economic challenges.”
💰 Income Levels and Gender Equality: A Mixed Picture
While high-income countries have closed 74.3% of their gender gap on average, some low-income countries are outperforming many richer nations, proving that policy commitment often matters more than economic wealth.
Gender Gap Closure by Income Group:
- High-income: 74.3%
- Upper-middle-income: 69.6%
- Lower-middle-income: 66.0%
- Low-income: 66.4%
🛤️ The Road Ahead: Time for Transformative Action
The Global Gender Gap Index 2025 emphasizes that incremental progress is not enough. To accelerate gender parity, the report recommends:
- Equal pay legislation
- Improved access to leadership positions
- Affordable childcare
- Parental leave reforms
- Inclusive political participation
With the world moving slowly towards parity, urgent structural reforms and societal shifts are essential to ensure that future generations inherit a fairer, more equal world.
