Some countries aren’t just talking about gender equality, they’re making it happen. While true parity between men and women is still a long way off, a handful of nations are racing ahead, driven by smart policy, cultural momentum, and measurable progress. From the boardroom to parliament, they’re showing that when equality is treated as a national priority – not just a social ideal – real change follows.
The latest Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum breaks it down, revealing which nations are closing the gap fastest, and how the UK compares. This year, the 19th edition of the Global Gender Gap Index benchmarks gender parity across 148 economies, providing a basis for the analysis of gender parity developments across two-thirds of the world’s economies.
Here’s what you need to know about the new research
The Global Gender Gap Report 2025 paints a picture of both progress and frustration in the long road to gender parity. While overall global parity has improved slightly to 68.8% closed, the pace remains glacial: at current trends, full equality is still 123 years away. Yes, over a century away.
This year, 10 countries have closed 80% or more of their gender gap, and just one has surpassed 90%. From Iceland’s world-leading policies to rising momentum across the Nordics and the UK’s own quiet gains, these nations reveal how gender equality is emerging through smart policy, economic inclusion and cultural shifts.
The findings are based on an evaluation of progress across four key areas:
- Economic participation and opportunity
- Educational attainment
- Health and survival
- Political empowerment
And here are the rankings for the top 10 countries:
- Iceland – 92.6% (holds on to its #1 ranking for the 16th year)
- Finland – 87%
- Norway – 86.3%
- United Kingdom – 83.8% (up from previous years)
- New Zealand – 82.7%
- Sweden – 81.7%
- Republic of Moldova – 81.3%
- Namibia – 81.1%
- Germany – 80.3%
- Ireland – 80.1%
The top 10 countries have all passed the 80% threshold, but only Iceland has crossed the 90% barrier, making it the world’s most gender-equal nation for the 16th year running.
The UK’s 4th place ranking is a positive shift but it masks deeper, slower-moving challenges, particularly in workplace participation and leadership.
What the leaders are doing right
Iceland: Iceland’s success is rooted in strong political representation of women, gender quotas in leadership, and one of the most progressive parental leave systems in the world – where leave is shared equally between both parents.
Finland: Finland consistently performs strongly in education and health, with near-complete parity in those dimensions. Notably, Finland has made major gains in political empowerment, reaching 100% parity in ministerial roles and over 85% in parliamentary representation, which have lifted its overall performance.
Norway: Ranking third with 86.3% parity in 2025, Norway continues to invest in pay transparency, subsidised childcare, and strong labour force participation. It has full parity in education and high scores in health, though progress in political and economic participation has slightly slowed, highlighting the importance of ongoing reforms despite strong overall performance.
New Zealand: As the highest-ranking non-European country in the top 10, New Zealand’s progress is driven by strong female political leadership and high levels of educational attainment. Efforts to close the pay gap and support women in traditionally male-dominated sectors have helped drive steady improvement year on year.
A closer look at the UK
Female full-time employment – As of 2023, the rate of female full‑time employment in the UK was 68.9%, ranking the UK 27th out of 33 OECD countries and well below the OECD average of 78.1%.
Workplace gender equality ranking – According to PwC’s latest Women in Work Index, the UK fell from 17th to 18th place among 33 OECD economies in 2023, its lowest ranking in over a decade. It also dropped from being the top G7 country for workplace equality, now positioned behind Canada.
Gender pay gap – The UK’s gender pay gap in median hourly earnings stood at 13.3% in 2023, slightly above the OECD average of 13.1%. That gap has narrowed gradually, slipping from 14.5% in 2022 to 13.3% in 2023.
Women in leadership – Women held 42.8% of FTSE 100 board directorships and 42.6% of FTSE 350 board roles in early 2025. However, just around 10 FTSE 100 companies have a female CEO, highlighting the leadership gap at the very top.
What needs to be done?
Parental leave and childcare costs remain barriers to equal economic participation. Many women are forced into part-time roles or leave the workforce entirely due to cost and lack of flexibility. Occupational segregation also persists, with women overrepresented in lower-paid, lower-status roles and underrepresented in high-growth industries.
Leadership remains a sticking point too. While board representation has improved, women are still notably absent from C-suite and executive-level decision-making roles. On top of this, weak enforcement of gender pay gap reporting, especially among smaller organisations, means many inequalities tend to go unchallenged.
To close the remaining 16.2% of the gender gap and accelerate meaningful progress, the UK needs bold, systemic change. This includes making childcare more affordable and expanding access to shared parental leave, following the example set by the Nordic countries.
The evidence is undeniable…
Women are included in the workforce, businesses and economies grow stronger and more resilient. According to PwC’s Women in Work Index, improvements in female workforce participation added £6.2 billion a year to UK GDP between 2011 and 2023. If this trajectory continues, it could add a further £43.5 billion to the UK economy by 2030. The benefits extend beyond GDP: businesses with more women in senior roles consistently outperform on profitability, innovation, and social responsibility.
Organisations must go beyond targets and actively promote women into leadership positions, particularly at executive and policy-making levels. Stronger transparency around pay and career progression is essential, along with better enforcement mechanisms to hold employers accountable.
Building more inclusive workplace cultures, where women can stay, grow, and lead, is crucial for turning equality from an ambition into a reality.
