Photo: Seebeer Edited by Nicholasjf21 · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
China: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
China is placed 124th 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 78.13 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.587 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
124th
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 78.13Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.587Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- 19.6Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- 27.1Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place China 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.
78.13
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
China: 78.13. 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 Eastern Asia
- 91.88 Hong Kong
- Land neighbours
- Afghanistan 3.125 · Bhutan 75 · Hong Kong 91.88 · India 71.25 · Kazakhstan 75.63 · Kyrgyzstan 86.25 · Laos 82.5 · Myanmar 61.88 · Mongolia 90.63 · Nepal 75.63 · Pakistan 58.75 · Russia 73.13 · Tajikistan 78.75 · Vietnam 88.13
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
0.587
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
China: 0.587. 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 Eastern Asia
- 0.903 Taiwan
- Land neighbours
- Afghanistan 0.028 · Bhutan 0.675 · Hong Kong 0.801 · India 0.658 · Kazakhstan 0.682 · Kyrgyzstan 0.733 · Laos 0.508 · Myanmar 0.33 · Mongolia 0.806 · Nepal 0.792 · Pakistan 0.524 · North Korea 0.29 · Russia 0.546 · Tajikistan 0.431 · Vietnam 0.808
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · China’s is from 2024 · CC BY 4.0
19.6
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
China: 19.6. 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 Eastern Asia
- 44.39 South Korea
- Land neighbours
- Afghanistan 9.579 · Bhutan 21.42 · Hong Kong 43.64 · India 3.84 · Kazakhstan 31.1 · Kyrgyzstan 21.68 · Laos 50.69 · Myanmar 41.13 · Mongolia 26.96 · Nepal 10.31 · Pakistan 3.401 · Russia 24.25 · Tajikistan 6.642 · Vietnam 19.4
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
27.1
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
China: 27.1. 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 Eastern Asia
- 9.2 Taiwan
- Land neighbours
- Bhutan 32.9 · Hong Kong 25.9 · India 43 · Kazakhstan 20.9 · Kyrgyzstan 29.4 · Laos 25.1 · Myanmar 47 · Mongolia 13.1 · Nepal 30.6 · Pakistan 59.7 · Tajikistan 40 · Vietnam 24.5
02Over time
Which way China 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
ChinaWorld median
China rose from 62.5 in 2000 to 78.13 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year China World median 2025 78 81.3 2023 78 81.3 2022 78 80.3 2021 76 80.0 2020 76 79.7 2019 76 78.8 2018 76 77.5 2017 76 77.5 2016 76 76.9 2015 76 75.9 2014 76 75.6 2013 76 75.0 2012 76 73.8 2011 69 73.1 2010 69 73.1 2009 69 72.5 2008 69 71.3 2007 73 69.7 2006 73 68.8 2005 70 67.2 2004 70 66.9 2003 65 64.7 2002 65 63.8 2001 63 63.8 2000 63 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
ChinaWorld median
China fell from 0.589 in 2000 to 0.587 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year China World median 2025 0.587 0.7715 2024 0.587 0.7745 2023 0.580 0.7755 2022 0.581 0.7825 2021 0.602 0.7785 2020 0.615 0.7755 2019 0.610 0.7665 2018 0.624 0.7715 2017 0.626 0.7710 2016 0.632 0.7780 2015 0.626 0.7755 2014 0.623 0.7795 2013 0.629 0.7730 2012 0.637 0.7740 2011 0.628 0.7650 2010 0.633 0.7610 2009 0.630 0.7515 2008 0.633 0.7505 2007 0.624 0.7380 2006 0.625 0.7290 2005 0.631 0.7350 2004 0.588 0.7205 2003 0.594 0.7160 2002 0.595 0.7150 2001 0.589 0.6950 2000 0.589 0.6810
03In context
China 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.
China 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mongolia | 29th | 90.63 | 0.806 | 26.96 | 13.1 |
 Hong Kong | 42nd | 91.88 | 0.801 | 43.64 | 25.9 |
 Vietnam | 78th | 88.13 | 0.808 | 19.4 | 24.5 |
 Laos | 90th | 82.5 | 0.508 | 50.69 | 25.1 |
 Kazakhstan | =91st | 75.63 | 0.682 | 31.1 | 20.9 |
 Kyrgyzstan | 93rd | 86.25 | 0.733 | 21.68 | 29.4 |
 Bhutan | =122nd | 75 | 0.675 | 21.42 | 32.9 |
 Russiacompare | =122nd | 73.13 | 0.546 | 24.25 | — |
| China | 124th | 78.13 | 0.587 | 19.6 | 27.1 |
 Nepal | 129th | 75.63 | 0.792 | 10.31 | 30.6 |
 Myanmar | 136th | 61.88 | 0.33 | 41.13 | 47 |
 Indiacompare | 154th | 71.25 | 0.658 | 3.84 | 43 |
 Tajikistan | =155th | 78.75 | 0.431 | 6.642 | 40 |
 Pakistancompare | 171st | 58.75 | 0.524 | 3.401 | 59.7 |
 Afghanistan | 175th | 3.125 | 0.028 | 9.579 | — |
 Macau | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 North Korea | not placed | — | 0.29 | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Eastern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
Placed either side on gender & equality
The countries immediately above and below China in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where China is ahead of the world, and behind
21 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 median14
Statistics on which China does better than the middle country measured.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.259271.25No real change since 2013
China: 92 · 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 2nd of 196 · derived.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.999.996.9No earlier reading
China: 99.9 · 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.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 9815898▲ Improved since 2015
China: 158 · 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.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.12.817.1No earlier reading
China: 2.8 · world median 17.1 · Women 20–24 married before 18 (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.3; lower is better.
Position 130th of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.465.22727.46▲ Improved since 2013
China: 5.227 · 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 190th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 3143▲ Improved since 2015
China: 14 · 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.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.1320.351▲ Improved since 2013
China: 0.132 · 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 41st of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8192.981No earlier reading
China: 92.9 · world median 81 · Women with a live birth who had 4+ antenatal visits (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 22.6 to 100; higher is better.
Position 37th of 153 · derived.
Account Ownership Among WomenWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 71.2489.271.24▲ Improved since 2014
China: 89.2 · 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 35th of 139 · derived.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3659.1553.36▼ Worsened since 2015
China: 59.15 · 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 53rd of 182 · derived.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.124435.12No earlier reading
China: 44 · 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 57th of 181 · derived.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.6516.2546.65▲ Improved since 2013
China: 16.25 · 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 131st of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Women's Empowerment IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 2022 · world median 0.6150.6640.615No earlier reading
China: 0.664 · 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.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9710.9760.971▲ Improved since 2013
China: 0.976 · 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 74th of 184 · derived.
Behind the world median2
Statistics on which China does worse than the middle country measured.
Gender Parity Index, Tertiary EnrolmentUIS · 2024 · world median 1.2441.1381.244No real change since 2014
China: 1.138 · 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 23rd of 95 · derived.
Global Gender Parity IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 2022 · world median 0.7260.7250.726No earlier reading
China: 0.725 · 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.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Gender Social Norms IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 91.8191.8191.81No earlier reading
China: 91.81 · world median 91.81 · People with at least one bias against gender equality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 27.39 to 99.92; lower is better.
Position 46th of 91 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end4
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1110.8105.1No real change since 2013
China: 110.8 · 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 20.654120.65No earlier reading
China: 41 · 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.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6525.424.65No earlier reading
China: 25.4 · 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.
Female-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.2114.833.21No earlier reading
China: 14.8 · 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.
No current reading for China
Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff (last 2016), Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His Wife and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. 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 China’s 16 topics
Gender & Equality is China’s 14th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Food & Agriculture6th of 1844/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade9th of 1774/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 23rd of 1984/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing47th of 2003/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality39th of 1593/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge51st of 1982/4 keys
- Economy & Innovationjoint 46th of 1764/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital62nd of 1963/3 keys
- Work & Labour60th of 1824/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience80th of 1934/4 keys
- Energyjoint 87th of 1653/3 keys
- Peace & Security102nd of 1774/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions125th of 1944/4 keys
- Gender & Equality124th of 1834/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability157th of 1864/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties178th of 1983/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on gender & equality
The three countries placed highest of 183, and the leaders China 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
3
ItalySouthern Europe
3rd of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Francisco Antunes · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
Taiwan2nd3/4 keysThis page
China124th4/4 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.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about China and gender & equality
08Questions
China 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 China rank on gender & equality?
China is placed 124th 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 China?
78.13 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 China?
0.587 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 China compare with India on gender & equality?
India is placed 154th of 183, and China 124th. Women, Business and the Law: India 71.25, China 78.13; Women's Political Empowerment Index: India 0.658, China 0.587; Firms with a Female Top Manager: India 3.84, China 19.6; Social Institutions and Gender Index: India 43, China 27.1.
How have China’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 62.5 in 2000 to 78.13 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index fell from 0.589 in 2000 to 0.587 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for China?
No current reading is published for China on Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His Wife and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
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 21 statistics on this page come from 8 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
China’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- China (banner) — Seebeer Edited by Nicholasjf21, Public domain
- 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). China: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/china/gender