Bangladesh has once again emerged as a regional leader in gender equality, securing the 24th position globally in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Index 2025, with a gender parity score of 77.5 per cent — the highest among South Asian nations.
The report highlights Bangladesh as one of the most successful economies in reducing gender disparities, alongside Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Ecuador, and Ethiopia, regardless of income level. Among the seven South Asian countries assessed, Bangladesh is the only one to be ranked within the global top 50, a testament to its ongoing efforts to close gender gaps, particularly in political empowerment and education.
While Southern Asia overall ranks 7th out of the eight global regions, with a parity score of 64.6 per cent, Bangladesh continues to outperform its neighbours. India has slipped to 131st place, falling behind Bhutan (119th), Nepal (125th), and Sri Lanka (130th). Pakistan remains at the bottom of the regional and global rankings at 148th, followed closely by Sudan and Chad.
The region has made noticeable progress in the economic participation of women, with senior roles increasing by 9.1 percentage points and professional and technical roles by 17.2 percentage points. However, the estimated earned income parity has declined by 7.8 percentage points, underlining persistent wage gaps.
In education, Southern Asia records a parity score of 95.4 per cent. But disparities remain stark — countries like Nepal and Pakistan report literacy parity below 75 per cent, compared to the Maldives, which has achieved full parity.
The region’s health and survival parity stands at 95.5 per cent, with modest gains in healthy life expectancy offset by a 1-point drop in the sex ratio at birth. Politically, the region ranks fourth globally with a score of 26.8 per cent — driven largely by Bangladesh, the only country in the bloc that has achieved political parity at the head-of-state level.
Globally, the 2025 index shows marginal improvement in gender equality, with the worldwide gender gap closing from 68.4 per cent in 2024 to 68.8 per cent in 2025. However, the WEF warns that at the current pace, full gender parity remains over a century away — estimated at 132 years.
Interestingly, many lower-income countries have made faster progress than their high-income counterparts. Bangladesh’s consistent gains exemplify this trend, outperforming several wealthier nations.
At the top of the global rankings, Iceland retains its position as the world’s most gender-equal country for the 16th consecutive year, having closed 92.6 per cent of its gender gap. It remains the only country to have surpassed the 90 per cent threshold, followed by Finland, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
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