Photo: Original photograph taken by User:Voice of Clam , edited by jjron - adjusted levels, reduced highlights, sharpened. derivative work: Jjtkk · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Eritrea: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Eritrea is placed 165th of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 69.38 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.151 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
165th
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 2 of 4 key statistics
- 69.38Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.151Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- —Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025No reading for this country
- —Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Eritrea 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.
69.38
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Eritrea: 69.38. 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 Africa
- 91.88 Rwanda
- Land neighbours
- Djibouti 71.25 · Ethiopia 80 · Sudan 32.5
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
0.151
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Eritrea: 0.151. 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 Africa
- 0.908 Seychelles
- Land neighbours
- Djibouti 0.584 · Ethiopia 0.691 · Sudan 0.219
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · CC BY 4.0
No reading
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
World Bank Group publishes no reading from 2016–2025 for Eritrea, so the standing rests on the other keys.
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 Africa
- 37.34 Madagascar
- Land neighbours
- Djibouti 31.61 · Ethiopia 16.44 · Sudan 3.417
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
No reading
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
OECD publishes no 2023 figure for Eritrea, so the standing rests on the other keys.
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 Africa
- 19 Rwanda
- Land neighbours
- Ethiopia 30.8 · Sudan 64.6
02Over time
Which way Eritrea 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
EritreaWorld median
Eritrea rose from 63.13 in 2000 to 69.38 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Eritrea World median 2025 69 81.3 2023 69 81.3 2022 69 80.3 2021 69 80.0 2020 69 79.7 2019 69 78.8 2018 69 77.5 2017 69 77.5 2016 69 76.9 2015 69 75.9 2014 69 75.6 2013 69 75.0 2012 69 73.8 2011 69 73.1 2010 69 73.1 2009 69 72.5 2008 69 71.3 2007 69 69.7 2006 69 68.8 2005 69 67.2 2004 69 66.9 2003 69 64.7 2002 69 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
EritreaWorld median
Eritrea fell from 0.353 in 2000 to 0.151 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Eritrea World median 2025 0.151 0.7715 2024 0.159 0.7745 2023 0.186 0.7755 2022 0.184 0.7825 2021 0.174 0.7785 2020 0.156 0.7755 2019 0.157 0.7665 2018 0.166 0.7715 2017 0.160 0.7710 2016 0.156 0.7780 2015 0.157 0.7755 2014 0.157 0.7795 2013 0.157 0.7730 2012 0.153 0.7740 2011 0.164 0.7650 2010 0.164 0.7610 2009 0.164 0.7515 2008 0.164 0.7505 2007 0.164 0.7380 2006 0.165 0.7290 2005 0.165 0.7350 2004 0.168 0.7205 2003 0.168 0.7160 2002 0.306 0.7150 2001 0.306 0.6950 2000 0.353 0.6810
03In context
Eritrea 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.
Eritrea 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Djibouti | 110th | 71.25 | 0.584 | 31.61 | — |
 Ethiopiacompare | 127th | 80 | 0.691 | 16.44 | 30.8 |
| Eritrea | 165th | 69.38 | 0.151 | 7.647 | — |
 Sudan | 182nd | 32.5 | 0.219 | 3.417 | 64.6 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Eastern Africa
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
Placed either side on gender & equality
The countries immediately above and below Eritrea in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Eritrea is ahead of the world, and behind
15 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 median1
Statistics on which Eritrea does better than the middle country measured.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3672.8453.36No real change since 2015
Eritrea: 72.84 · 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 12th of 182 · derived.
Behind the world median11
Statistics on which Eritrea does worse than the middle country measured.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4665.1827.46▼ Worsened since 2013
Eritrea: 65.18 · 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 49th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Female Genital Mutilation PrevalenceUNICEF · 2024 · world median 34.18334.1No earlier reading
Eritrea: 83 · world median 34.1 · Women aged 15-49 who have undergone FGM (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.3 to 99.2; lower is better.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 303▼ Worsened since 2015
Eritrea: 0 · 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.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8157.481No earlier reading
Eritrea: 57.4 · 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 126th of 153 · derived.
Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His WifeUNICEF · 2025 · world median 22.451.422.4No earlier reading
Eritrea: 51.4 · world median 22.4 · Women aged 15-49 who say a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.2 to 80.2; lower is better.
Position 19th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 986098▼ Worsened since 2015
Eritrea: 60 · 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.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.65291.3646.65No real change since 2013
Eritrea: 291.36 · 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 25th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.140.717.1No earlier reading
Eritrea: 40.7 · 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 11th of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2532.871.25No real change since 2013
Eritrea: 32.8 · 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 189th of 196 · derived.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.933.796.9No earlier reading
Eritrea: 33.7 · 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.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.124.2435.12No earlier reading
Eritrea: 4.24 · 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 177th of 181 · derived.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6521.224.65No earlier reading
Eritrea: 21.2 · 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 105.1103.2105.1No real change since 2013
Eritrea: 103.2 · 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 20.652.820.65No earlier reading
Eritrea: 2.8 · 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.
No current reading for Eritrea
Account Ownership Among Women, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff (last 2010), Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates (last 2016), Female-Headed Households, Gender Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2016), Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women's Empowerment Index 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 Eritrea’s 14 topics
Gender & Equality is Eritrea’s 7th best-placed topic of 14. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 15th of 1863/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 117th of 1824/4 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 126th of 1773/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeingjoint 152nd of 2002/4 keys
- Energyjoint 127th of 1652/3 keys
- Risk & Resilience162nd of 1933/4 keys
- Gender & Equality165th of 1832/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital181st of 1963/3 keys
- Digital & Technology190th of 1983/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture179th of 1842/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge194th of 1982/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 191st of 1943/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties198th of 1983/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade177th of 1772/4 keys
No standing on Economy & Innovation, Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on gender & equality
The three countries placed highest of 183, and the leaders Eritrea 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 Africa
Cabo Verde=34th3/4 keysHighest in Eastern Africa
Seychelles=43rd3/4 keysThis page
Eritrea165th2/4 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
Eritrea 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 Eritrea rank on gender & equality?
Eritrea is placed 165th of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law and Women's Political Empowerment 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 Eritrea?
69.38 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 Eritrea?
0.151 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 Eritrea compare with Ethiopia on gender & equality?
Ethiopia is placed 127th of 183, and Eritrea 165th. Women, Business and the Law: Ethiopia 80, Eritrea 69.38; Women's Political Empowerment Index: Ethiopia 0.691, Eritrea 0.151.
How have Eritrea’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 63.13 in 2000 to 69.38 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index fell from 0.353 in 2000 to 0.151 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Eritrea?
No current reading is published for Eritrea on Account Ownership Among Women, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Female-Headed Households, Gender Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women's Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. 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 15 statistics on this page come from 5 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
Eritrea’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Eritrea (banner) — Original photograph taken by User:Voice of Clam , edited by jjron - adjusted levels, reduced highlights, sharpened. derivative work: Jjtkk, 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). Eritrea: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/eritrea/gender