Photo: Strokin.ru derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Russia: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Russia is placed joint 122nd of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 73.13 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.546 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
joint122nd
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
- 73.13Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.546Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- 24.25Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- —Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Russia 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.
73.13
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Russia: 73.13. 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 Europe
- 93.75 3 countries
- Land neighbours
- Azerbaijan 85 · Belarus 75.63 · China 78.13 · Estonia 97.5 · Finland 97.5 · Georgia 88.13 · Kazakhstan 75.63 · Lithuania 93.75 · Latvia 100 · Mongolia 90.63 · Norway 96.88 · Poland 93.75 · Ukraine 85
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
0.546
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Russia: 0.546. 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 Europe
- 0.93 Czechia
- Land neighbours
- Azerbaijan 0.649 · Belarus 0.657 · China 0.587 · Estonia 0.941 · Finland 0.932 · Georgia 0.816 · Kazakhstan 0.682 · Lithuania 0.926 · Latvia 0.95 · Mongolia 0.806 · Norway 0.926 · Poland 0.878 · North Korea 0.29 · Ukraine 0.888
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Russia’s is from 2019 · CC BY 4.0
24.25
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
Russia: 24.25. 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 Europe
- 32.28 Poland
- Land neighbours
- Azerbaijan 7.307 · Belarus 21.12 · China 19.6 · Estonia 16 · Finland 15.75 · Georgia 20.99 · Kazakhstan 31.1 · Lithuania 22.91 · Latvia 24.14 · Mongolia 26.96 · Norway 17.56 · Poland 32.28 · Ukraine 17.68
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 Russia, 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 Europe
- 11 Moldova
- Land neighbours
- Azerbaijan 29.8 · China 27.1 · Estonia 13.1 · Finland 12.1 · Georgia 27.6 · Kazakhstan 20.9 · Lithuania 12.3 · Latvia 12.8 · Mongolia 13.1 · Norway 6.7 · Poland 18.5 · Ukraine 16.3
02Over time
Which way Russia 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
RussiaWorld median
Russia rose from 66.88 in 2000 to 73.13 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Russia World median 2025 73 81.3 2023 73 81.3 2022 73 80.3 2021 73 80.0 2020 73 79.7 2019 73 78.8 2018 73 77.5 2017 73 77.5 2016 73 76.9 2015 73 75.9 2014 73 75.6 2013 73 75.0 2012 73 73.8 2011 73 73.1 2010 73 73.1 2009 73 72.5 2008 73 71.3 2007 73 69.7 2006 73 68.8 2005 73 67.2 2004 73 66.9 2003 73 64.7 2002 73 63.8 2001 67 63.8 2000 67 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
RussiaWorld median
Russia fell from 0.661 in 2000 to 0.546 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Russia World median 2025 0.546 0.7715 2024 0.535 0.7745 2023 0.572 0.7755 2022 0.662 0.7825 2021 0.688 0.7785 2020 0.686 0.7755 2019 0.690 0.7665 2018 0.695 0.7715 2017 0.690 0.7710 2016 0.696 0.7780 2015 0.686 0.7755 2014 0.686 0.7795 2013 0.690 0.7730 2012 0.677 0.7740 2011 0.688 0.7650 2010 0.687 0.7610 2009 0.695 0.7515 2008 0.697 0.7505 2007 0.688 0.7380 2006 0.691 0.7290 2005 0.660 0.7350 2004 0.678 0.7205 2003 0.673 0.7160 2002 0.671 0.7150 2001 0.656 0.6950 2000 0.661 0.6810
03In context
Russia 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.
Russia 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Latvia | 1st | 100 | 0.95 | 24.14 | 12.8 |
 Lithuania | 6th | 93.75 | 0.926 | 22.91 | 12.3 |
 Norway | 11th | 96.88 | 0.926 | 17.56 | 6.7 |
 Polandcompare | =12th | 93.75 | 0.878 | 32.28 | 18.5 |
 Finland | 17th | 97.5 | 0.932 | 15.75 | 12.1 |
 Estonia | 20th | 97.5 | 0.941 | 16 | 13.1 |
 Mongolia | 29th | 90.63 | 0.806 | 26.96 | 13.1 |
 Ukraine | =56th | 85 | 0.888 | 17.68 | 16.3 |
 Georgia | 77th | 88.13 | 0.816 | 20.99 | 27.6 |
 Kazakhstan | =91st | 75.63 | 0.682 | 31.1 | 20.9 |
 Belarus | 119th | 75.63 | 0.657 | 21.12 | — |
| Russia | =122nd | 73.13 | 0.546 | 24.25 | — |
 Chinacompare | 124th | 78.13 | 0.587 | 19.6 | 27.1 |
 Azerbaijan | 134th | 85 | 0.649 | 7.307 | 29.8 |
 North Korea | not placed | — | 0.29 | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Eastern 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 Russia in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Russia 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 median13
Statistics on which Russia does better than the middle country measured.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 9814098No real change since 2015
Russia: 140 · 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 46.659.446.65▲ Improved since 2013
Russia: 9.4 · 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 151st of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Female Share of Senior and Middle ManagementILO · 2024 · world median 35.8640.8535.86▼ Worsened since 2014
Russia: 40.85 · 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 21st of 86 · derived.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.16.217.1No earlier reading
Russia: 6.2 · 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 111th of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.1690.351▲ Improved since 2013
Russia: 0.169 · 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 45th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4612.9727.46▲ Improved since 2013
Russia: 12.97 · 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 149th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.998.796.9No earlier reading
Russia: 98.7 · 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.
Births Attended by Skilled Health StaffUNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance) · 2023 · world median 99.399.799.3▼ Worsened since 2013
Russia: 99.7 · world median 99.3 · Births attended by skilled health staff (%). UNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 60.9 to 100; higher is better.
Position 31st of 84 · derived.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9711.0230.971No real change since 2013
Russia: 1.023 · 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 69th of 184 · derived.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2575.171.25▲ Improved since 2013
Russia: 75.1 · 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 76th of 196 · derived.
Account Ownership Among WomenWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 71.2477.2771.24▼ Worsened since 2014
Russia: 77.27 · 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 59th of 139 · derived.
Gender Social Norms IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 91.8190.6891.81No earlier reading
Russia: 90.68 · 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 50th of 91 · derived, 1st = worst.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3654.5553.36▼ Worsened since 2015
Russia: 54.55 · 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 85th of 182 · derived.
Behind the world median3
Statistics on which Russia does worse than the middle country measured.
Gender Parity Index, Tertiary EnrolmentUIS · 2024 · world median 1.2441.0711.244▲ Improved since 2014
Russia: 1.071 · 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 10th of 95 · derived.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1233.9635.12No earlier reading
Russia: 33.96 · 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 98th of 181 · derived.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 303▼ Worsened since 2015
Russia: 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.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to LandFAO · 2025 · world median 333No earlier reading
Russia: 3 · world median 3 · Level of legal guarantees of women's equal rights to land ownership and control, 1 (lowest) to 6 (highest). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 6; higher is better.
No better end5
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 33.2152.1133.21No earlier reading
Russia: 52.11 · 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.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1105.7105.1Moved since 2013
Russia: 105.7 · 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.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1738.0138.17No earlier reading
Russia: 38.01 · 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.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6524.424.65No earlier reading
Russia: 24.4 · 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.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.651320.65No earlier reading
Russia: 13 · 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 Russia
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four Visits, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Global Gender Parity Index, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His Wife, 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 Russia’s 15 topics
Gender & Equality is Russia’s 11th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Work & Labour13th of 1824/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 34th of 1984/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital42nd of 1963/3 keys
- Food & Agriculture40th of 1844/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality38th of 1593/3 keys
- Mobility & Trade62nd of 1772/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing73rd of 2002/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation66th of 1764/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge83rd of 1984/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience86th of 1934/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 122nd of 1833/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions148th of 1944/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 166th of 1864/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties183rd of 1984/4 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 171st of 1774/4 keys
No standing on Energy: 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 Russia can most readily be measured against.
1LatviaNorthern 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 Europe
Latvia1st4/4 keysHighest in Eastern Europe
Poland=12th4/4 keysThis page
Russia=122nd3/4 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
Russia 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 Russia rank on gender & equality?
Russia is placed joint 122nd of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law, Women's Political Empowerment Index and Firms with a Female Top Manager). 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 Russia?
73.13 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 Russia?
0.546 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 Russia compare with China on gender & equality?
China is placed 124th of 183, and Russia joint 122nd. Women, Business and the Law: China 78.13, Russia 73.13; Women's Political Empowerment Index: China 0.587, Russia 0.546; Firms with a Female Top Manager: China 19.6, Russia 24.25.
How have Russia’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 66.88 in 2000 to 73.13 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index fell from 0.661 in 2000 to 0.546 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Russia?
No current reading is published for Russia on Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four Visits, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Global Gender Parity Index, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His Wife, 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 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
Russia’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Russia (banner) — Strokin.ru derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- 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). Russia: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/russia/gender