The global gender gap has been closed by 68.1%. At the current rate of progress, it will take 132 years to reach full parity. According to trends leading up to 2020, the gender gap was set to close within 100 years.
By Sampad Mohapatra 
Across the 146 countries in the 2022 index, the Health and Survival gender gap has closed by 95.8%, Educational Attainment by 94.4%, Economic Participation and Opportunity by 60.3%, and Political Empowerment by 22%.
The top 10 economies have closed at least 80% of their gender gaps, with Iceland (90.8%) leading the global ranking. Iceland remains the only economy to have closed more than 90% of its gender gap. Other countries
such as Finland (86%, 2nd), Norway (84.5%, 3rd) and Sweden (82.2%, 5th) feature in the top 5.
European countries such as Ireland (80.4%) and Germany (80.1%) are in the 9th and 10th positions, respectively. Sub-Saharan African countries Rwanda (81.1%, 6th) and Namibia (80.7%, 8th), along with one Latin American country, Nicaragua (81%, 7th), and one country from East Asia and the Pacific, New Zealand (84.1%, 4th), also take positions in the top 10.
It will take 155 years to close the Political Empowerment gender gap, 151 years for the Economic Participation and opportunity gender gap and 22 years for the Educational Attainment gender gap.
Gender Parity Score
This year’s results against last year’s by examining the 145 countries show that the overall gender parity score rose from 67.9% to 68.1%.
The Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex also increased from 58.7% to 60.3%, as did the Health and Survival subindex from 95.7% to 95.8%.
The Educational Attainment subindex fell from 95.2% to 94.4% while Political Empowerment remained the same,
at 22%.
Regional results and time to parity
North America leads all regions, having closed 76.9% of its gender gap. It is closely followed by Europe, which has closed 76.6% of its gap. In third place are Latin America and the Caribbean, having bridged 72.6% of the gender gap. Central Asia, along with East Asia and the Pacific, is towards the middle, at 69.1% and 69%, respectively, and progressing towards parity.
North America is the most advanced region in terms of closing the gender gap. Europe has the second-highest level of gender parity, currently standing at 76.6%. Latin America and the Caribbean rank third of all regions, after North America and Europe. The region has bridged 72.6% of its gender gap.
In Central Asia, overall progress in closing the gender gap is unchanged from the last edition, at 69.1%. East Asia and the Pacific have closed 69% of their gender gap, marginally increasing its regional performance over the 2021 edition.
With an average population-weighted score of 63.4%, the Middle East and North Africa have the second-largest gender gap yet to close, after South Asia. Among the eight regions covered in the report, South Asia ranks the lowest, with only 62.3% of the gender gap closed in 2022.
South Asia will wait 197 years to close the gender gap due to a broad stagnation in gender parity scores across most countries in the region. Bangladesh and Nepal lead the regional performance with over 69% of their gender gaps closed.
