Women’s share of leadership hiring has declined for the fourth consecutive year, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Gender Gap Report, even as global gender parity reaches its highest recorded level.
The report’s 20th-anniversary edition examines progress across 145 economies and estimates that closing the global gender gap will take another 120 years at the current pace.
Women Remain Underrepresented at the Top
LinkedIn data included in the report show that women account for 46% of entry-level workers globally, but only 23% of C-suite executives and 19% of CEOs. Women hold around 25% of CFO and COO positions.
The report also identifies gaps in leadership across AI industries and financial markets, where decisions are being made about emerging areas of the economy.
Progress Continues, but Gains Are Fragile
The global gender parity score reached 69.2% in 2026. Nearly all of the 97 economies tracked continuously since 2006 have improved, although progress has been faster in the first decade than in the second.
No economy has achieved full parity. Economic participation and opportunity remain 61.7% closed, while political empowerment has reached just 22.1%.
The report also finds that political empowerment scores, although higher than in 2006, have fallen from their 2016 level.
Closing the Gap Will Require More Than Participation
Iceland leads the report’s rankings, with 93% of its gender gap closed, followed by Finland, Norway, Namibia and the United Kingdom.
Latin America and the Caribbean are projected to reach parity in 60 years, Europe in 70 years and Sub-Saharan Africa in 102 years.
The report points to legal reforms as a source of progress, with World Bank data showing that 96% of reforms examined expanded rights. It identifies three areas for further action: restoring momentum in senior leadership, preventing gender gaps from being repeated in the AI economy and making use of women’s growing share of wealth.
