GGGR 2025

Global Gender Gap Report 202545Economies in the fastest-moving group include Bangladesh, Chile, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Latin America and the Caribbean has the greatest regional representation in this block at 50%, followed by Middle East and Northern Africa, at 25%. Closely behind are 15 economies moving at the second-fastest rate. Nearly half (46.7%) of the group comes from Europe, with representative contingents from Latin America and the Caribbean (20%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (13.3%) Bahrain is the sole member of this group from the Middle East and Northern Africa. Moving at “medium” speed is the largest group, comprised of 42 economies. The group is dominated by European economies (43%), followed by Latin America and the Caribbean economies (21.4%). The two economies from Northern America are also in this group, while from Southern Asia only India features. At a slower speed, but still making progress, are 30 economies that follow next that include a mix of economies from Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe (at 26.6%) followed by Eastern Asia and the Pacific (23.3%). Next are the four economies that are at a relative “standstill”. This group includes Kazakhstan, Iran, Sweden and North Macedonia. Finally, there is one economy with a negative rate of advancement: Sri Lanka. Analysing the table in Figure 1.11 from an income perspective shows that 75% of economies that have been constantly represented in the index since 2006 fall into the high- or upper-middle income categories, as illustrated by figure 1.11. Only six economies in the sample belong to the low-income category and 19 are lower-middle income. This is more representative of income as an enabling factor for data availability and continuity, rather than as a condition for performance or speed – evidenced by the fact that 41% of the sample advances at medium speed, regardless of income level. In every income group are economies that break away from the pack and are able to maintain a faster pace of change. 0.006 0.004 0.002 0.000 -0.002 -0.004 -0.006 0.008 0.0010 0.012 Speed of gender parity Regression High-income Sweden Japan Spain Australia Iceland Saudi Arabia Low-income Ethiopia Lower-middle-incomeBangladesh Jordan Sri Lanka Upper-middle-incomeMongolia Namibia Mexico and Ecuador Medium Sprint Slow Standstill FastSpeed of progress, by income group FIGURE 1.11 Source World Economic Forum calculationsNote Includes the 100 economies featured in all editions of the index, from 2006–2025. There is no corresponding edition for 2019.