The World Economic Forum reports global gender parity has reached 69.2%, but warns that full equality may be 120 years away as progress in political leadership stalls.
Key facts
- •Global gender parity stands at 69.2%, with full equality estimated to be 120 years away.
- •The share of countries led by women has declined since peaking in 2022.
- •Fewer than one in five AI engineers globally are women despite $1 trillion in sector investment.
- •The United States dropped to 47th in the rankings, with its political score impacted by fewer women in Cabinet roles.
- •Namibia ranks fourth globally, supported by high female representation in its presidency and parliament.
The World Economic Forum's 2026 Global Gender Gap Report, released Wednesday, shows that global gender parity has reached 69.2%. Despite this milestone, the Geneva-based nonprofit warns that full equality could take another 120 years to achieve and that current progress remains fragile. The study analyzed 145 economies across workforce participation, education, health, and politics.
By the numbers
Political and Leadership Trends
While women's representation in senior government and business roles has increased since the index began in 2006, the trend in political leadership has reversed over the last decade. The percentage of countries led by women peaked in 2022 and has returned to 2016 levels. Currently, women hold fewer than one-fifth of CEO positions, and only one in 10 ministerial roles is considered to have high influence.
Regional and Country Rankings
Iceland continues to lead the global rankings for the 17th consecutive year, with 93% of its gender gap closed. Namibia reached fourth place globally, the highest ranking in Sub-Saharan Africa, following the inauguration of its first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Conversely, the United States dropped to 47th place, with its political score falling 4.1 points due to a decrease in women serving as Cabinet secretaries.
Economic and AI Disparities
The report highlights a significant gender imbalance in the artificial intelligence sector, where fewer than one in five AI engineers are women. This persists despite nearly $1 trillion in global investment in the field. In India, while educational gains have improved the overall parity score, labor-market participation for women has remained largely stagnant over the past two decades.
Advertisement
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Deutsche Welle Business.
