Where Does India Rank In Global Gender Gap Index 2026? All You Need To Know

The Global Gender Gap Index 2026 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranks India at the 131st position out of 145 economies, achieving a score of 64.5% in terms of gender parity. India has maintained the same position as it held in 2025, but there has been marginal improvement in its score. This index, first published in 2006, evaluates gender parity in terms of economic participation, education, health and political empowerment. The General Studies aspirants must consider this report relevant to India’s standing on gender equality and other socio-economic issues pertaining to women’s participation.

What Is the Global Gender Gap Index?

The Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) is a WEF annual initiative that assesses the gender gap in the following four key areas,

1. Economic Participation and Opportunity
2. Educational Attainment
3. Health and Survival
4. Political Empowerment

Instead of considering only the level of development, the index considers gender parity to be its key area of assessment. The Global Gender Gap Report 2026 is the 20th edition of the GGGI and includes 145 economies.

India’s Performance in Gender Gap Index 2026

India’s overall parity score stood at 64.5%, which placed it in the 131st place.

Economic Participation and Opportunity

Despite some progress made over the past decade, economic participation still remains the area where there is the biggest gender gap in India. The parity between labour-force participation rates was 44.1%, while that between professional and technical workers – 49.9%.

The latter has improved dramatically since 2006, when it stood at only 26.6%. Nevertheless, parity between the shares of women in the ranks of legislators, senior officials and managers was rather poor at 13.1%.

Education and Health

India managed to record 96.6% parity in terms of education attainment; however, it was still 0.5 percentage points less compared to the previous year.

The parity between women and men in the area of health and survival rates was 95.6%.

Political Empowerment

The political empowerment indicator in India is 24.5%, and the country ranked 67th out of 146 countries in terms of the same indicator globally.

Among political indicators, parliamentary representation indicator is 16.1%, and ministerial representation is 5.9%. The head-of-state indicator stands at 40.7%.

Top and Bottom Countries Based on Global Gender Gap Index 2026

The top country was Iceland, which had an index value of 0.930, followed by Finland (0.872) and Norway (0.857). Fourth was Namibia, whereas the fifth position was taken by the UK.

Countries ranking last include Chad, which is ranked 145th with an index value of 0.578, followed by Iran (144th) and Pakistan (143rd).

Among major economies of the world, the US was ranked 47th, China was ranked 96th, and Japan was ranked 117th, whereas India ranked 131st.

According to WEF, 69.2% of the global gender gap has already been closed. Assuming the same rate of progress, global gender parity will be achieved in 120 years.

Top-10 Countries In Global Gender Gap Index 2026

Bottom Last Countries In Global Gender Gap Index 2026