Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Taiwan: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Taiwan is placed 2nd 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 91.25 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.903 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
2nd
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
Not placed in the Country Index 2026 overall: measured on too few topics.
- 91.25Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.903Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- —Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025No reading for this country
- 9.2Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Taiwan 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.
91.25
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Taiwan: 91.25. 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
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
0.903
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Taiwan: 0.903. 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
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 Taiwan, 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 Asia
- 44.39 South Korea
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
9.2
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
Taiwan: 9.2. 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 Eastern Asia
- 9.2 Taiwan
02Over time
Which way Taiwan 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
TaiwanWorld median
Taiwan rose from 60.63 in 2000 to 91.25 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Taiwan World median 2025 91 81.3 2023 91 81.3 2022 91 80.3 2021 91 80.0 2020 91 79.7 2019 91 78.8 2018 91 77.5 2017 91 77.5 2016 91 76.9 2015 91 75.9 2014 91 75.6 2013 85 75.0 2012 85 73.8 2011 85 73.1 2010 85 73.1 2009 85 72.5 2008 80 71.3 2007 80 69.7 2006 80 68.8 2005 80 67.2 2004 80 66.9 2003 80 64.7 2002 75 63.8 2001 61 63.8 2000 61 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
TaiwanWorld median
Taiwan rose from 0.833 in 2000 to 0.903 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Taiwan World median 2025 0.903 0.7715 2024 0.900 0.7745 2023 0.903 0.7755 2022 0.904 0.7825 2021 0.904 0.7785 2020 0.905 0.7755 2019 0.902 0.7665 2018 0.894 0.7715 2017 0.896 0.7710 2016 0.890 0.7780 2015 0.892 0.7755 2014 0.892 0.7795 2013 0.896 0.7730 2012 0.877 0.7740 2011 0.875 0.7650 2010 0.877 0.7610 2009 0.872 0.7515 2008 0.870 0.7505 2007 0.867 0.7380 2006 0.865 0.7290 2005 0.865 0.7350 2004 0.865 0.7205 2003 0.865 0.7160 2002 0.864 0.7150 2001 0.835 0.6950 2000 0.833 0.6810
03In context
Taiwan 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.
Taiwan and Eastern Asia
Taiwan has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | 2nd | 91.25 | 0.903 | — | 9.2 |
 South Korea | 24th | 88.13 | 0.878 | 44.39 | 19.8 |
 Mongolia | 29th | 90.63 | 0.806 | 26.96 | 13.1 |
 Hong Kong | 42nd | 91.88 | 0.801 | 43.64 | 25.9 |
 Japan | =116th | 81.25 | 0.844 | 9.625 | 32.9 |
 China | 124th | 78.13 | 0.587 | 19.6 | 27.1 |
 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 Taiwan in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Taiwan is ahead of the world, and behind
7 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 median4
Statistics on which Taiwan does better than the middle country measured.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1261.2235.12No earlier reading
Taiwan: 61.22 · 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 8th of 181 · derived.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.463.01827.46▼ Worsened since 2013
Taiwan: 3.018 · 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 206th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2582.771.25▼ Worsened since 2013
Taiwan: 82.7 · 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 34th of 196 · derived.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 393▼ Worsened since 2015
Taiwan: 9 · 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.
Behind the world median1
Statistics on which Taiwan does worse than the middle country measured.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 985698No real change since 2015
Taiwan: 56 · 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.
No better end2
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 105.1106.8105.1Moved since 2013
Taiwan: 106.8 · 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.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6527.624.65No earlier reading
Taiwan: 27.6 · 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.
No current reading for Taiwan
Account Ownership Among Women, Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four Visits, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Caesarean Section Rate, Child Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Labour Force Participation Rate, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Female-Headed Households, Firms with a Female Top Manager, Gender Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Institutional Deliveries, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Maternal Mortality Ratio, 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 Taiwan’s 8 topics
Gender & Equality is Taiwan’s best-placed topic of 8. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Gender & Equality2nd of 1833/4 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 7th of 1773/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade16th of 1773/4 keys
- Digital & Technology21st of 1984/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequalityjoint 19th of 1593/3 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties30th of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions30th of 1943/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 143rd of 1862/4 keys
No standing on Economy & Innovation, Work & Labour, Education & Knowledge, Health & Wellbeing, Development & Human Capital, Risk & Resilience, Food & Agriculture, 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 Taiwan 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
- 2Taiwan
Eastern 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 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
Taiwan 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 Taiwan rank on gender & equality?
Taiwan is placed 2nd 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 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 Taiwan?
91.25 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 Taiwan?
0.903 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 have Taiwan’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 60.63 in 2000 to 91.25 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index rose from 0.833 in 2000 to 0.903 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Taiwan?
No current reading is published for Taiwan on Account Ownership Among Women, Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four Visits, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Caesarean Section Rate, Child Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Labour Force Participation Rate, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Female-Headed Households, Firms with a Female Top Manager, Gender Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Institutional Deliveries, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Maternal Mortality Ratio, 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 7 statistics on this page come from 2 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
Taiwan’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Taiwan (banner) — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Latvia — Marcin Szala, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Italy — Francisco Antunes, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Taiwan: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/taiwan/gender