Global Gender Gap Report 202535This section reviews the state of gender parity for selected individual economies, examining performance across the four dimensions of the index as well as the economies’ trajectories followed to date. The economies in this section are both statistically and strategically significant to monitoring and benchmarking efforts, given their placement in the index as well as the share of the global female population they represent. Top 10 economies Iceland Iceland has ranked at the top of the Global Gender Gap Index since 2009. Since the inaugural edition in 2006, the economy has demonstrated a consistently positive trajectory, not only maintaining its leading position, but also widening its score relative to global averages over time. Iceland has increased its overall gender parity from 78.1% in 2006 to 92.6% in 2025, while the gap between its score and the global average has expanded from 14.0 percentage points to 23.6 percentage points over the same period. Iceland’s overall gender parity ranking is primarily driven by its outstanding performance in the Political Empowerment subindex. To date, the economy has closed 95.4% of the gender gap in politics – four times higher than the global average and more than twice the average of its European peers. Iceland has achieved full parity in ministerial positions since 2024 and in the head-of- state role since 2023. In contrast, Iceland’s performance in the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex has shown more fluctuations. This year, its score stands at 79.8%, lower than its peak of 84.6% in 2021. The decline is mainly attributed to a drop in estimated earned income (67.6% in 2025 against 73.7% in 2021) and reduced female representation among legislators, senior officials and managers (58.2% in 2025 against 72.1% in 2021). A downward trend is also observed in the Health and Survival subindex. Here, Iceland’s parity score has been gradually declining for almost a decade, from 97.0% in 2016 to 96.0% in 2025. Although the absolute decrease appears modest, the score now falls below both the European and global averages. Notably, despite generally long healthy life expectancies, women in Iceland are projected to have a shorter healthy lifespan than men for the first time in a decade. Finland Finland ranks 2nd in 2025, having closed 87.9% of the overall gender gap to date. This economy has consistently remained among the top five economies since the first edition in 2006. In the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex, Finland has shown a moderately positive trend with minor fluctuations over time. This year, its economic parity score returns to its peak in 2015, reaching 81.5%. In particular, parity among legislators, senior officials and mangers has steadily improved, rising from 38.9% in 2006 to 62.4% in 2025. Its score for perceived wage equality has also reached the highest level in 2025, at 81.4%. In parallel, the estimated earned income score has increased over the past nine editions, reaching 75.2%, though it has yet to surpass the record high achieved in 2015 (81.3%). Finland maintains its strong performance with full parity in education and near-complete parity in health. A slight decline in female parliamentary representation has led to a drop in its Political Empowerment score, from 73.4% in 2024 to 72.8% in 2025. Despite this, with full parity in ministerial positions and half-parity achieved in the head-of-state role, Finland ranks second in the global Political Empowerment ranking. Norway Norway ranks 3rd in 2025, with an overall score of 86.3%, and continues to be one of the perennial top performers in the Global Gender Gap Index. Although it maintains its relative position among leading economies, recent years have seen declines across the Economic Participation and Opportunity, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment subindexes. Notably, its score for estimated earned income falls to its lowest level since 2016, at 71.5%. Similar to Iceland, women in Norway now face slightly shorter healthy lifespans than their male counterparts, which has contributed to the Health and Survival subindex score decreasing from 96.2% to 95.9% between 2024 and 2025. In the political sphere, a decline in the representation of women in parliamentary and ministerial positions has offset consistent progress in the representation of women as head of state, leading to a decrease in Norway’s overall Political Empowerment score, from 74.6% in 2024 to 72.1% in 2025. United Kingdom The United Kingdom rises to 4th in the Global Gender Gap Index, marking the first time the economy has closed over 80% of its overall gender gap (83.8%) and secured a position among the top 5. A historic gender-equal cabinet is the primary driver of this achievement, complemented by an increase in women representation in the parliament. As a result, the United Kingdom’s Political Empowerment score has increased from 47.4% in 2024 to 64.3% in 2025. Positive developments have also been recorded in the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex. In particular, the share of women among senior roles at the work place has improved over time. Parity in legislators, senior officials and managers stands at 67.3% in 2025, up from 58.3% in 2024 and 49.3% in 2006. In-focus country performances: Top 10 and most populous1.7

GGGR 2025