Germany ranks 9th globally for gender parity in 2026

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released a new report highlighting that global progress towards gender equality has stalled, leaving full parity an estimated 120 years away. Germany has performed well compared with its European counterparts and defended its ninth-place ranking.

Global gender equality still 120 years away

Global progress towards closing the gender gap has virtually stalled, according to the 20th edition of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2026. Across the 145 economies surveyed, the global gender gap stands at 69,2 percent closed, representing a slight improvement of just 0,4 percentage points compared to last year.

At this rate, achieving complete equality between men and women worldwide will take another 120 years.

Europe has reclaimed its status as the leading region globally, having closed 75,7 percent of its overall gender gap. Iceland remains at the top of the global ranking for the 17th consecutive year, standing as the only nation to have closed more than 90 percent of its gap, at 93,0 percent.

Despite regional gains, systemic bottlenecks persist in career progression. Data compiled in partnership with LinkedIn reveals a sharp "drop to the top" in corporate leadership: while women account for 46,0 percent of entry-level roles worldwide, their representation drops by half to 23,0 percent at C-suite level.

Germany maintains 9th place

Germany has ranked in the top 10 for global gender equality, taking ninth place with a gender parity score of 81,7 percent. Over the past 20 years, the country has secured a spot in the top 10 a total of eight times.

Compared to last year, Germany's score increased by 1,3 percentage points to 80,3 percent. Compared to its European neighbours, Germany ranked sixth. The Netherlands, on the other hand, fell to 46th place, while France took 22nd place and Switzerland 27th.

Image credit: Global Gender Gap Report 2026

Germany saw some improvement when it came to economic participation and opportunity, increasing its score by 1,7 percent to 69,6 percent and now ranking 80th globally. 

In the educational attainment category, Germany has a score of 98,9 percent with the economy "achiev[ing] full parity in adult literacy, primary education enrolment, and tertiary education enrolment." The category is only slightly limited by decreasing scores in secondary education enrolment, as male students are overrepresented compared to females.

Germany ranks fifth globally for political empowerment, with the economy reaching full parity at the ministerial level in 2026. Women's parliamentary representation also improved this year. Over the past two decades, Germany's success in this area is nearly entirely down to political representation for women as head of state.

This article originally appeared on IamExpat the Netherlands.