The Global Gender Gap Report 2026, published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on September 16, 2026, indicates that two decades of progress toward gender parity is at risk due to a decline in women's political representation. The report states that gender parity worldwide stands at 69.2%, but warns that at the current pace, it could take 120 years to close the remaining gap.
The report, which evaluates gender parity across workforce participation, education, health, and politics in 145 economies, notes that while women now occupy senior leadership positions in government and business at levels that were rare globally when the index began in 2006, the past decade has seen a reversal in women's political presence. The percentage of countries led by women peaked in 2022 but has since fallen back to 2016 levels.
WEF Managing Director Saadia Zahidi emphasized that while achieving parity is essential for growth and competitiveness, it is not guaranteed. "To accelerate, governments and employers need to learn from the policies that work and apply them faster. A new economy demands a new approach to talent," Zahidi stated in a press release accompanying the report.
The report highlights that women remain underrepresented in roles with significant economic and political influence, holding fewer than a fifth of chief executive officer (CEO) positions, and only one in ten ministerial roles held by women is considered high influence. Although the number of ministerial roles led by women has risen by 26% since 2008, the proportion of influential roles has remained virtually unchanged.
Despite nearly $1 trillion (€866 billion) invested globally in artificial intelligence (AI), the report reveals that fewer than one in five AI engineers are women, with underrepresentation at all levels of AI firms.
Iceland continues to lead the ranking for the 17th consecutive year, with 93% of the gender gap closed, followed by Finland and Norway. Namibia ranked fourth globally, surpassing Germany (9th), the United Kingdom (5th), and Australia (8th). The United States dropped five places to 47th, with 74.9% of its gender gap closed, achieving full parity in education for a second consecutive year.
In the US, women have matched men in professional and technical jobs, but parity in senior management has declined by almost 11 points since 2006. The political score fell by 4.1 points from the previous year, coinciding with a decrease in the share of women ministers.
India, the world's most populous country, ranks 131st, with 64.5% of its gender gap closed, primarily due to educational achievements. Women's labor-market participation has seen little change over 20 years, with economic parity scores varying significantly since the first report.
China rose seven places to 96th, closing 69.9% of its gender gap, with economic parity being its strongest area. Namibia leads in Sub-Saharan Africa with 84.5% parity, while other African countries like Kenya and Ghana made significant gains in the rankings.
The report also identifies countries that have made the most progress since 2006 in closing gender gaps, including Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Iceland, Mexico, Namibia, and Nepal.