Scandinavia is the best place to be a working woman according to The Economist’s 2021 glass-ceiling index

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — March 4th 2021 — Ahead of International Women’s Day, The Economist’s Glass Ceiling Index (GCI) https://www.economist.com/IWDay shows that women are still lagging behind their male counterparts in senior positions, making up on average only a third of managers across the OECD. The GCI is a yearly assessment of where women have the best and worst chances of equal treatment at work in countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a group of mostly rich countries.

The GCI, which combines data on higher education, labour-force participation, pay, child-care costs, maternity and paternity rights, business-school applications and representation in senior jobs to create a ranking of 29 OECD countries, shows that Sweden is the best place to work if you are a woman, followed by its Nordic neighbours, Iceland, Finland and Norway. The Nordics are particularly good at helping women complete university, secure a job, access senior positions, and take advantage of quality parental-leave systems and flexible work schedules.

South Korea bottoms out the index for the ninth year in a row with Japan and Turkey not far behind. Societal norms in Asia still expect women to choose between having a family or a career.

According to the analysis accompanying this year’s GCI index https://www.economist.com/GCIndex, there is progress being made in America where 41% of managers are women and 28% of board members are female, above the OECD average. This is evidenced in part by women taking CEO roles at notable American companies over the past year including Citigroup, UPS, Walgreens and TIAA.

Additional highlights of The Economist’s 2021 glass-ceiling index:

The US moved four spots up on the index from last year. While its proportion of women in management roles and on boards is above average, it remains stuck below the OECD average with no federally-mandated paid parental leave

Britain improved by three spots on the index this year; its share of women in senior jobs is around a third

Germany moved down the ranking from last year to #22. German women hold just 29% of managerial roles, and a quarter of seats on boards

France ranks #5 in the GCI, the same as last year. France ranks second for the highest share of women on company boards, behind Iceland

This is the ninth year that The Economist has released its glass-ceiling index. When it was launched in 2013 there were five indicators and 26 countries; today it consists of ten indicators including maternity and paternity leave for 29 OECD countries.

The Glass Ceiling Index sits within a new hub, "Women Around the World", The Economist has launched in celebration of International Women’s Day. Sitting in front of the paywall, it highlights some of the best coverage across The Economist on the lives of women around the world—from inspiring stories to the political and economic inequalities that persist globally. The hub is supported by a content-led marketing campaign, "Press Forward", aimed at attracting new audiences by showcasing the breadth of The Economist's coverage of women that highlights equality, inclusion, diversity and intersectionality.

"The Economist is uniquely positioned to cover the fight for equality for women around the world. For International Women's Day, in addition to the Glass Ceiling Index, we are highlighting women who are breaking through, as well as shining a light where there is still progress to be made." Kim Miller, global chief marketing officer, The Economist Group. To view the full interactive glass-ceiling index, please visit The Economist’s hub with content on International Women’s Day: https://www.economist.com/IWDay

The glass-ceiling index 2021
Best and worst OECD countries to be a working woman

1. Sweden

2. Iceland

3. Finland

4. Norway

5. France

6. Denmark

7. Portugal

8. Belgium

9. New Zealand

10. Poland

11. Canada

12. Slovakia

13. Italy

14. Hungary

15. Spain

16. Australia

17. Austria

OECD AVERAGE

18. United States

19. Israel

20. Britain

21. Ireland

22. Germany

23. Czech Republic

24. Netherlands

25. Greece

26. Switzerland

27. Turkey

28. Japan

29. South Korea

For more info or to interview our journalists on the glass-ceiling index, please contact:
UK HollyDonahue@economist.com / US TomAmos@economist.com or to interview one of our business executives on The Economist’s IWD initiative: JessicaKeating@economist.com

About The Economist (Economist.com)
With a growing global audience and a trusted reputation for insightful analysis, The Economist is one of the most widely recognised sources covering current affairs in the world. In addition to the weekly digital and print editions and website, The Economist publishes Espresso, a daily news app, and Global Business Review, a bilingual English-Chinese product. The Economist produces several podcasts each week and short- and long-form video. The Economist maintains robust social communities on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networks. A recipient of many editorial and marketing awards, The Economist was named the most trusted news source by the 2017 Trusting News Project Report.