The World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 has ranked Pakistan 148 out of 148 countries under consideration, dropping from the 145th position it occupied last year.
The Global Gender Gap Index, issued annually, assesses gender equality across four dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. Its 2025 edition has assigned Pakistan a gender parity score of 56.7%, 0.3% less than its 2024 score.
Iceland leads the ranking once again, while Bangladesh tops the list from South Asia, ranking at 24th. Neighboring India is 131st.
According to the report, Pakistan has closed its gender gap by 2.3% since 2006. However, its improved on only one metric this year—Educational Attainment—raising educational parity 1.5% to 85.1%. According to the report, this improvement is partly driven by an increase in female literacy rates (from 46.5% to 48.5%. However, it adds, it is partly attributed to a decline in male enrolment rates in tertiary education, increasing the relative balance between men and women but lowering educational reach overall. Overall, Pakistan ranks 137 out of 148 countries on the Educational Attainment criteria.
While Pakistan’s highest rank occurs in Political Empowerment, 118, it has declined from 12.2% in 2024 to 11% this year, with the report citing an “all male” ministerial cabinet.
The country’s highest score is on the Health and Survival criteria at 95.9%, while it remains a dismal 34.7% on Economic Participation and Opportunity. The report notes income disparity in Pakistan has increased slightly, 0.02%, since its last edition, as has perceived wage inequality, 4%.
In her comments on this year’s report, WEF Managing Director Saadia Zahidi said it comes at a “decisive” movement with the world in flux. “Technological breakthroughs, geopolitical conflict, and economic uncertainty are creating unprecedented challenges as well as bringing new opportunities. Amid such change, gender parity is both a principle and a strategy,” she said.
“Economies that tap into the full spectrum of their talent and human capital are best positioned to navigate an era of transformation and accelerate productivity and prosperity. Yet most economies are not fully leveraging this pathway for growth,” she added.