Photo: chensiyuan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Austria: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Austria is placed 14th of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 96.88 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.905 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
14th
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 96.88Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.905Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- 18.91Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- 9.8Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Austria on gender & equality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
96.88
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Austria: 96.88. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 3.125 (Afghanistan) to 100 (Sweden); the world median is 81.25.
- World median
- 81.25
- Best in Western Europe
- 100 5 countries
- Land neighbours
- Switzerland 94.38 · Czechia 93.75 · Germany 100 · Hungary 93.75 · Italy 97.5 · Slovakia 87.5 · Slovenia 100
Key 2 of 4
Women's Political Empowerment Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
0.905
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Austria: 0.905. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.028 (Afghanistan) to 0.954 (Denmark); the world median is 0.772.
- World median
- 0.772
- Best in Western Europe
- 0.952 Belgium
- Land neighbours
- Switzerland 0.93 · Czechia 0.93 · Germany 0.942 · Hungary 0.818 · Italy 0.929 · Slovakia 0.878 · Slovenia 0.94
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Austria’s is from 2025 · CC BY 4.0
18.91
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
Austria: 18.91. Across the 179 countries at their latest reading, values run from 1.429 (Qatar) to 62.9 (Kiribati); the world median is 19.16.
- World median
- 19.16
- Best in Western Europe
- 18.91 Austria
- Land neighbours
- Switzerland 16.41 · Czechia 14.38 · Germany 13.29 · Hungary 18.12 · Italy 21.04 · Slovakia 20.41 · Slovenia 23.38
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
9.8
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
Austria: 9.8. Across the 140 countries in this edition, values run from 6.7 (Norway) to 67.4 (Mauritania); the world median is 25.2.
- World median
- 25.2
- Best in Western Europe
- 7.4 Belgium
- Land neighbours
- Switzerland 9.9 · Czechia 15 · Germany 12.4 · Hungary 15.2 · Italy 9.2 · Slovakia 14.2 · Slovenia 17.6
02Over time
Which way Austria is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Women, Business and the Law
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) · higher is better
AustriaWorld median
Austria rose from 78.75 in 2000 to 96.88 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Austria World median 2025 97 81.3 2023 97 81.3 2022 97 80.3 2021 97 80.0 2020 97 79.7 2019 94 78.8 2018 94 77.5 2017 94 77.5 2016 94 76.9 2015 94 75.9 2014 91 75.6 2013 91 75.0 2012 91 73.8 2011 91 73.1 2010 91 73.1 2009 91 72.5 2008 85 71.3 2007 85 69.7 2006 85 68.8 2005 85 67.2 2004 82 66.9 2003 82 64.7 2002 79 63.8 2001 79 63.8 2000 79 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
AustriaWorld median
Austria fell from 0.922 in 2000 to 0.905 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Austria World median 2025 0.905 0.7715 2024 0.901 0.7745 2023 0.928 0.7755 2022 0.917 0.7825 2021 0.931 0.7785 2020 0.931 0.7755 2019 0.924 0.7665 2018 0.928 0.7715 2017 0.939 0.7710 2016 0.934 0.7780 2015 0.934 0.7755 2014 0.934 0.7795 2013 0.937 0.7730 2012 0.923 0.7740 2011 0.923 0.7650 2010 0.923 0.7610 2009 0.924 0.7515 2008 0.922 0.7505 2007 0.930 0.7380 2006 0.929 0.7290 2005 0.931 0.7350 2004 0.931 0.7205 2003 0.931 0.7160 2002 0.931 0.7150 2001 0.922 0.6950 2000 0.922 0.6810
03In context
Austria beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 183 countries on gender & equality, never a place within the region.
Austria and the countries it borders
Standing among all 183; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Women, Business and the LawWBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) | Women's Political Empowerment IndexWomen's political empowerment index (0–1) | Firms with a Female Top ManagerFirms with a female top manager (%) | Social Institutions and Gender IndexSIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Italy | 3rd | 97.5 | 0.929 | 21.04 | 9.2 |
 Slovenia | 4th | 100 | 0.94 | 23.38 | 17.6 |
| Austria | 14th | 96.88 | 0.905 | 18.91 | 9.8 |
 Germany | =18th | 100 | 0.942 | 13.29 | 12.4 |
 Switzerland | =18th | 94.38 | 0.93 | 16.41 | 9.9 |
 Czechia | 32nd | 93.75 | 0.93 | 14.38 | 15 |
 Slovakia | 39th | 87.5 | 0.878 | 20.41 | 14.2 |
 Hungary | 50th | 93.75 | 0.818 | 18.12 | 15.2 |
 Liechtenstein | not placed | — | — | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Western Europe
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
Placed either side on gender & equality
The countries immediately above and below Austria in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Austria is ahead of the world, and behind
22 more statistics filed under gender & equality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median12
Statistics on which Austria does better than the middle country measured.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 3303▲ Improved since 2015
Austria: 30 · world median 3 · Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 196; higher is better.
Account Ownership Among WomenWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 71.2499.1971.24▲ Improved since 2014
Austria: 99.19 · world median 71.24 · Women with an account (% of women aged 15+). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 11.91 to 99.85; higher is better.
Position 7th of 139 · derived.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2588.771.25No real change since 2013
Austria: 88.7 · world median 71.25 · Share of women aged 15–49 wanting to avoid pregnancy who use a modern method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.4 to 92.4; higher is better.
Position 9th of 196 · derived.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.0330.351▲ Improved since 2013
Austria: 0.033 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 10th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.463.83627.46No real change since 2013
Austria: 3.836 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 198th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Women's Empowerment IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 2022 · world median 0.6150.7780.615No earlier reading
Austria: 0.778 · world median 0.615 · Women's Empowerment Index (0–1; higher = more empowerment). UNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women, 2023 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0.141 to 0.828; higher is better.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.656.146.65▼ Worsened since 2013
Austria: 6.1 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 165th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Global Gender Parity IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 2022 · world median 0.7260.8080.726No earlier reading
Austria: 0.808 · world median 0.726 · Global Gender Parity Index (women's achievements relative to men's; 1 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women, 2023 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0.141 to 0.925; higher is better.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 9811298▼ Worsened since 2015
Austria: 112 · world median 98 · Paid maternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 410; higher is better.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9710.9850.971▲ Improved since 2013
Austria: 0.985 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 55th of 184 · derived.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.998.596.9No earlier reading
Austria: 98.5 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3655.0653.36▼ Worsened since 2015
Austria: 55.06 · world median 53.36 · Women aged 15+ in the labour force (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 4.663 to 82.91; higher is better.
Position 81st of 182 · derived.
Behind the world median3
Statistics on which Austria does worse than the middle country measured.
Gender Parity Index, Tertiary EnrolmentUIS · 2024 · world median 1.2441.2341.244▼ Worsened since 2014
Austria: 1.234 · world median 1.244 · Adjusted gender parity index, tertiary gross enrolment (1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.74 to 1.83; higher is better.
Position 45th of 95 · derived.
Female Share of Senior and Middle ManagementILO · 2024 · world median 35.8634.7435.86▲ Improved since 2014
Austria: 34.74 · world median 35.86 · Women in senior and middle management (% of managers). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 7.226 to 56.69; higher is better.
Position 49th of 86 · derived.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1232.2335.12No earlier reading
Austria: 32.23 · world median 35.12 · Firms with at least one woman among the owners (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.273 to 86.78; higher is better.
Position 105th of 181 · derived.
No better end7
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Female-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.2141.133.21No earlier reading
Austria: 41.1 · world median 33.21 · Households headed by a woman (% of households). UN DESA Population Division, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 5.33 to 64.59.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6527.124.65No earlier reading
Austria: 27.1 · world median 24.65 · Singulate mean age at marriage, women (years). UN DESA Population Division, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 17 to 34.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1105.5105.1Moved since 2013
Austria: 105.5 · world median 105.1 · Male births per 100 female births. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 101.1 to 116.3.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.6524.420.65No earlier reading
Austria: 24.4 · world median 20.65 · Live births delivered by caesarean section (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 72.2.
Women's Share of Agricultural LandownersFAO · 2025 · world median 25.6425.825.64No earlier reading
Austria: 25.8 · world median 25.64 · Women's share of owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.16 to 57.8.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1732.0538.17No earlier reading
Austria: 32.05 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
Female Share of STEM GraduatesUIS · 2023 · world median 35.329.4335.3Moved since 2014
Austria: 29.43 · world median 35.3 · STEM graduates who are women (%; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.333 to 55.96.
No current reading for Austria
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four Visits, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff (last 2022), Child Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Gender Social Norms Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land and Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His Wife. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Gender & Equality among Austria’s 16 topics
Gender & Equality is Austria’s 6th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Economy & Innovation1st of 1764/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture2nd of 1844/4 keys
- Energy7th of 1653/3 keys
- Risk & Resilience9th of 1934/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade12th of 1772/4 keys
- Gender & Equality14th of 1834/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital15th of 1963/3 keys
- Governance & Institutions15th of 1944/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing17th of 2003/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties25th of 1984/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge33rd of 1983/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 31st of 1824/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality33rd of 1593/3 keys
- Digital & Technology46th of 1984/4 keys
- Peace & Security43rd of 1774/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability113th of 1864/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on gender & equality
The three countries placed highest of 183, and the leaders Austria can most readily be measured against.
1
LatviaNorthern Europe
1st of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Marcin Szala · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
TaiwanEastern Asia
2nd of 183 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3ItalySouthern Europe
3rd of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Francisco Antunes · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Europe
Latvia1st4/4 keysHighest in Western Europe
Belgium7th4/4 keysThis page
Austria14th4/4 keys
Positions out of 183 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Austria on gender & equality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Austria rank on gender & equality?
Austria is placed 14th of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law, Women's Political Empowerment Index, Firms with a Female Top Manager and Social Institutions and Gender Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Women, Business and the Law figure for Austria?
96.88 in 2025 (wBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 81.25.
What is the latest Women's Political Empowerment Index figure for Austria?
0.905 in 2025 (women's political empowerment index (0–1)), according to V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg. The world median in the same edition was 0.772.
How does Austria compare with Germany on gender & equality?
Germany is placed joint 18th of 183, and Austria 14th. Women, Business and the Law: Germany 100, Austria 96.88; Women's Political Empowerment Index: Germany 0.942, Austria 0.905; Firms with a Female Top Manager: Germany 13.29, Austria 18.91; Social Institutions and Gender Index: Germany 12.4, Austria 9.8.
How have Austria’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 78.75 in 2000 to 96.88 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index fell from 0.922 in 2000 to 0.905 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Austria?
No current reading is published for Austria on Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four Visits, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Child Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Gender Social Norms Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land and Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His Wife. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Violence against women is not a key here, because comparable data covers too few countries. The Gender Inequality Index is published here as context rather than as a key: its reading is driven largely by maternal and adolescent health, which moves with a country’s overall development and is already measured under Development and Health. Women’s labour force participation, women in management and child marriage are published here as context too.
How the Gender & Equality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The gender & equality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Women, Business and the Law — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Women's Political Empowerment Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Firms with a Female Top Manager — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Social Institutions and Gender Index — OECD, OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
The other 22 statistics on this page come from 9 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Austria’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Austria (banner) — chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Latvia — Marcin Szala, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Taiwan — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Italy — Francisco Antunes, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Austria: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/austria/gender