The world is inching closer to gender equality—but at a pace that means true parity is still more than a century away.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025, released today in Geneva, the global gender gap has closed to 68.8%, marking the strongest annual improvement since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, at the current rate of progress, it will take 123 years to fully close the gap.
Iceland remains the world’s most gender-equal country for the 16th consecutive year, followed by Finland, Norway, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. These top-performing economies have all closed more than 80% of their gender gaps.
Yet, the report also lays bare persistent inequalities, particularly in economic participation and political empowerment—the latter still the largest barrier, with only 22.9% of the global gap closed. Women continue to outnumber men in higher education, but just 28.8% make it to senior leadership positions, revealing a deep underutilization of talent that’s hampering innovation, resilience, and growth.
“At a time of economic uncertainty and technological transformation, achieving gender parity is not just a moral imperative—it’s an economic one,” said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum. “Countries that invest in closing gender gaps are setting themselves up for more sustainable and inclusive growth.”
Regional and Economic Trends
Northern America leads globally with a parity score of 75.8%, showing particularly strong results in economic participation. Europe follows closely at 75.1%, driven by gains in political empowerment. Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the fastest overall progress since 2006, now ranking third globally with 74.5% parity.
In contrast, Sub-Saharan Africa ranks sixth with a 68.0% score, but shows promise: women now hold 40.2% of ministerial positions and 37.7% of parliamentary seats across the region. Bangladesh leads in Southern Asia (77.5%) and is the only economy from the region in the global top 50. Meanwhile, the Middle East and North Africa, though lowest-ranked, has more than tripled its political empowerment score since 2006.
Notably, income does not guarantee equality. While high-income countries average 74.3% parity, several low- and middle-income nations—such as Ethiopia, Ecuador, and Bangladesh—have made faster progress than many wealthier economies, proving that focused policy interventions and inclusive growth models can make a difference at any income level.
Progress Still Too Slow
Despite signs of acceleration, parity remains elusive. Political empowerment, although the fastest-improving area, would still take 162 years to close at the current pace. Economic parity would take 135 years, and disparities in leadership continue to widen even as women advance in education.
A key challenge is the failure to translate education into leadership. “Women dominate higher education but remain underrepresented in top management. That’s a structural inefficiency,” said Sue Duke, Global Head of Public Policy at LinkedIn. “With AI transforming the global economy, diverse leadership is more critical than ever.”
LinkedIn data reveals that modern leadership paths are increasingly nonlinear—requiring cross-sector moves, adaptability, and re-entry after career breaks. Yet women are 55% more likely than men to take career breaks, mainly for caregiving, and these breaks can become long-term setbacks in traditional career structures.
A Call to Action
As the global economy adapts to new risks—from technological disruption to trade fragmentation—gender parity must remain central to recovery and reform strategies. The report underscores that when countries prioritize parity, they unlock growth, innovation, and a more resilient future.
“Rapid progress is possible,” the report concludes. “Countries that treat gender parity as a cornerstone of economic strategy—not a side issue—are those positioning themselves for long-term success.”
📘 Read the full Global Gender Gap Report 2025 here: https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2025
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