Photo: Mardetanha · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Saudi Arabia: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Saudi Arabia is placed 167th 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 73.75 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.347 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
167th
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 73.75Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.347Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- 1.76Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- 59.2Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Saudi Arabia 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.
73.75
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Saudi Arabia: 73.75. 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 Asia
- 96.88 Cyprus
- Land neighbours
- United Arab Emirates 73.75 · Iraq 50.63 · Jordan 61.88 · Kuwait 41.25 · Oman 48.75 · Qatar 35.63 · Yemen 26.88
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
0.347
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Saudi Arabia: 0.347. 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 Asia
- 0.875 Armenia
- Land neighbours
- United Arab Emirates 0.614 · Iraq 0.555 · Jordan 0.669 · Kuwait 0.357 · Oman 0.357 · Qatar 0.388 · Yemen 0.161
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Saudi Arabia’s is from 2025 · CC BY 4.0
1.76
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
Saudi Arabia: 1.76. 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 Asia
- 28.23 Armenia
- Land neighbours
- Iraq 1.629 · Jordan 1.759 · Kuwait 2.776 · Qatar 1.429 · Yemen 1.647
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
59.2
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
Saudi Arabia: 59.2. 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 Asia
- 23.7 Armenia
- Land neighbours
- Iraq 60 · Jordan 58.5 · Qatar 60.1
02Over time
Which way Saudi Arabia 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
Saudi ArabiaWorld median
Saudi Arabia rose from 23.75 in 2000 to 73.75 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Saudi Arabia World median 2025 73.8 81.3 2023 71.3 81.3 2022 71.3 80.3 2021 80.0 80.0 2020 80.0 79.7 2019 70.6 78.8 2018 38.1 77.5 2017 31.9 77.5 2016 31.9 76.9 2015 31.9 75.9 2014 31.9 75.6 2013 29.4 75.0 2012 29.4 73.8 2011 29.4 73.1 2010 26.3 73.1 2009 26.3 72.5 2008 26.3 71.3 2007 26.3 69.7 2006 26.3 68.8 2005 23.8 67.2 2004 23.8 66.9 2003 23.8 64.7 2002 23.8 63.8 2001 23.8 63.8 2000 23.8 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
Saudi ArabiaWorld median
Saudi Arabia rose from 0.089 in 2003 to 0.347 in 2025; the world median went from 0.716 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Saudi Arabia World median 2025 0.347 0.7715 2024 0.361 0.7745 2023 0.359 0.7755 2022 0.346 0.7825 2021 0.347 0.7785 2020 0.272 0.7755 2019 0.283 0.7665 2018 0.259 0.7715 2017 0.236 0.7710 2016 0.239 0.7780 2015 0.236 0.7755 2014 0.236 0.7795 2013 0.235 0.7730 2012 0.137 0.7740 2011 0.138 0.7650 2010 0.138 0.7610 2009 0.130 0.7515 2008 0.127 0.7505 2007 0.126 0.7380 2006 0.125 0.7290 2005 0.120 0.7350 2004 0.094 0.7205 2003 0.089 0.7160 2002 — 0.7150 2001 — 0.6950 2000 — 0.6810
03In context
Saudi Arabia 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.
Saudi Arabia 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 United Arab Emiratescompare | 143rd | 73.75 | 0.614 | — | — |
 Jordan | 161st | 61.88 | 0.669 | 1.759 | 58.5 |
| Saudi Arabia | 167th | 73.75 | 0.347 | 1.76 | 59.2 |
 Iraq | 173rd | 50.63 | 0.555 | 1.629 | 60 |
 Oman | 176th | 48.75 | 0.357 | — | — |
 Kuwait | 178th | 41.25 | 0.357 | 2.776 | — |
 Qatar | 179th | 35.63 | 0.388 | 1.429 | 60.1 |
 Yemen | 183rd | 26.88 | 0.161 | 1.647 | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Western 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 Saudi Arabia in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Saudi Arabia is ahead of the world, and behind
19 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 median7
Statistics on which Saudi Arabia does better than the middle country measured.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.13.417.1No earlier reading
Saudi Arabia: 3.4 · 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 128th of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.657.3646.65No real change since 2013
Saudi Arabia: 7.36 · 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 158th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4611.1127.46▼ Worsened since 2013
Saudi Arabia: 11.11 · 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 159th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Births Attended by Skilled Health StaffUNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance) · 2023 · world median 99.399.899.3▲ Improved since 2013
Saudi Arabia: 99.8 · 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 23rd of 84 · derived.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.998.796.9No earlier reading
Saudi Arabia: 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.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.2280.351No real change since 2013
Saudi Arabia: 0.228 · 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 61st of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Account Ownership Among WomenWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 71.2473.4671.24▼ Worsened since 2014
Saudi Arabia: 73.46 · 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 64th of 139 · derived.
Behind the world median7
Statistics on which Saudi Arabia does worse than the middle country measured.
Gender Parity Index, Tertiary EnrolmentUIS · 2024 · world median 1.2441.0061.244▲ Improved since 2014
Saudi Arabia: 1.006 · 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 2nd of 95 · derived.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8179.781No earlier reading
Saudi Arabia: 79.7 · 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 82nd of 153 · derived.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2553.371.25▲ Improved since 2013
Saudi Arabia: 53.3 · 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 147th of 196 · derived.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9710.9310.971No real change since 2013
Saudi Arabia: 0.931 · 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 139th of 184 · derived.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 988498▲ Improved since 2015
Saudi Arabia: 84 · 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.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3633.5753.36▲ Improved since 2015
Saudi Arabia: 33.57 · 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 160th of 182 · derived.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.122.37535.12No earlier reading
Saudi Arabia: 2.375 · 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 180th of 181 · derived.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 333▼ Worsened since 2015
Saudi Arabia: 3 · 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.
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.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6526.624.65No earlier reading
Saudi Arabia: 26.6 · 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 Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1738.1938.17No earlier reading
Saudi Arabia: 38.19 · 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.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1105.1105.1No real change since 2013
Saudi Arabia: 105.1 · 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-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.2112.2333.21No earlier reading
Saudi Arabia: 12.23 · 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 Saudi Arabia
Caesarean Section Rate, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates (last 2022), Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, 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 Saudi Arabia’s 14 topics
Gender & Equality is Saudi Arabia’s 13th best-placed topic of 14. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Mobility & Trade40th of 1774/4 keys
- Digital & Technology45th of 1984/4 keys
- Work & Labour45th of 1824/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital50th of 1963/3 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 54th of 1944/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing58th of 2003/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge77th of 1983/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation69th of 1764/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience83rd of 1934/4 keys
- Food & Agriculturejoint 86th of 1844/4 keys
- Peace & Security123rd of 1774/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties163rd of 1983/4 keys
- Gender & Equality167th of 1834/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability185th of 1863/4 keys
No standing on Poverty & Inequality, 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 Saudi Arabia 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 keysHighest in Western Asia
Armenia=34th4/4 keysThis page
Saudi Arabia167th4/4 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
Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia rank on gender & equality?
Saudi Arabia is placed 167th 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 Saudi Arabia?
73.75 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 Saudi Arabia?
0.347 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 Saudi Arabia compare with Iraq on gender & equality?
Iraq is placed 173rd of 183, and Saudi Arabia 167th. Women, Business and the Law: Iraq 50.63, Saudi Arabia 73.75; Women's Political Empowerment Index: Iraq 0.555, Saudi Arabia 0.347; Firms with a Female Top Manager: Iraq 1.629, Saudi Arabia 1.76; Social Institutions and Gender Index: Iraq 60, Saudi Arabia 59.2.
How have Saudi Arabia’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 23.75 in 2000 to 73.75 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index rose from 0.089 in 2003 to 0.347 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Saudi Arabia?
No current reading is published for Saudi Arabia on Caesarean Section Rate, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, 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 19 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
Saudi Arabia’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Saudi Arabia (banner) — Mardetanha, CC BY-SA 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). Saudi Arabia: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/saudi-arabia/gender