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Photo: Rastapopulous · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale

Gender & Equality

172nd

of 183 countries placed

Placed from 2 of 4 key statistics

01The evidence

The 4 key statistics that decide it

Only these place Turkmenistan 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.

Why these keys
  1. Key 1 of 4

    Women, Business and the Law

    World Bank Group

    Why it is a key: The gap written into the statute book, which a country can close while outcomes lag for a generation.

    2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0

    No reading

    WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)

    Higher is better

    World Bank Group publishes no 2024 figure for Turkmenistan, so the standing rests on the other keys.

    Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 26.25 (Palestine) to 100 (Sweden); the world median is 81.25.

    World median
    81.25
    Best in Central Asia
    82.5 Uzbekistan
    Land neighbours
    Afghanistan 31.88 · Iran 31.25 · Kazakhstan 75.63 · Uzbekistan 82.5

    Each grey tick is one of 190 countries in the 2024 edition.

  2. Key 2 of 4

    Women's Political Empowerment Index

    V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg

    Why it is a key: Political power held by women in practice — their civil liberties, their part in civil society and their share of political office — where the law and custom keys measure the rules they live under.

    2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    0.437

    Women's political empowerment index (0–1)

    Higher is better

    Turkmenistan: 0.437. 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 Central Asia
    0.733 Kyrgyzstan
    Land neighbours
    Afghanistan 0.028 · Iran 0.32 · Kazakhstan 0.682 · Uzbekistan 0.643

    Each grey tick is one of 176 countries in the 2025 edition.

  3. Key 3 of 4

    Firms with a Female Top Manager

    World Bank Group

    Why it is a key: The share of firms whose top manager is a woman: economic power held, beside the political power and the legal and social rules the other keys in this subject measure.

    Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Turkmenistan’s is from 2024 · CC BY 4.0

    6.084

    Firms with a female top manager (%)

    Higher is better

    Turkmenistan: 6.084. 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 Central Asia
    31.1 Kazakhstan
    Land neighbours
    Afghanistan 9.579 · Kazakhstan 31.1 · Uzbekistan 12.34

    Each grey tick is one of 179 countries at its latest reading, 2016–2025.

  4. Key 4 of 4

    Social Institutions and Gender Index

    OECD

    Why it is a key: Discrimination in social institutions and norms. Correlates 0.850 with Women, Business and the Law, inside the 0.92 bar, and kept because law and custom diverge widely.

    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 Turkmenistan, 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 Central Asia
    20.9 Kazakhstan
    Land neighbours
    Iran 62.9 · Kazakhstan 20.9

    Each grey tick is one of 140 countries in the 2023 edition.

03In context

Turkmenistan 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.

Central Asia
1st183rdNot placed · 41 countries with too few key statisticsNo data

The whole world on gender & equality

Turkmenistan and the countries it borders

The standing is each country’s place among all 183 placed on the topic; the other columns are the publishers’ own values, read at the edition the standing used.

CountryStandingWomen, 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)
Kazakhstan=90th75.630.68231.120.9
Uzbekistan133rd82.50.64312.34—
Turkmenistan172nd—0.4376.084—
Afghanistan175th31.880.0289.579—
Iran181st31.250.32—62.9

“—” means the publisher gives no reading for that country in that edition. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed.

Across Central 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 Turkmenistan in the topic’s list.

04Context, no vote

Where Turkmenistan is ahead of the world, and behind

5 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.

Every country

Ahead of the world median3

Statistics on which Turkmenistan does better than the middle country measured.

  • Births Attended by Skilled Health StaffUNICEF · 2019 · world median 98.8100No real change since 2016

    Turkmenistan: 100 · world median 98.8 · Births attended by skilled health staff (%). UNICEF, 2019 edition, data for 2019.

    Published values in that edition run from 31.9 to 100; higher is better.

    Position 1st of 86 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2019 dataset

  • Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.654.52▲ Improved since 2013

    Turkmenistan: 4.52 · 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 172nd of 195 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.16.1No earlier reading

    Turkmenistan: 6.1 · 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 112th of 143 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

Behind the world median1

Statistics on which Turkmenistan does worse than the middle country measured.

  • Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3638.24▼ Worsened since 2015

    Turkmenistan: 38.24 · 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 155th of 182 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

No better end1

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 105.1106.7Moved since 2013

    Turkmenistan: 106.7 · 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.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

05Country Index 2026

Gender & Equality among Turkmenistan’s 14 topics

Gender & Equality is Turkmenistan’s 10th best-placed topic of 14. Strongest first; each marker sits at the position divided by that topic’s field, so fields of different sizes compare fairly.

On the profile
  1. Risk & Resilience45th of 192
  2. Education & Knowledge51st of 171
  3. Development & Human Capitaljoint 72nd of 196
  4. Peace & Security80th of 177
  5. Food & Agriculture87th of 175
  6. Health & Wellbeing123rd of 200
  7. Work & Labour123rd of 182
  8. Economy & Innovation130th of 176
  9. Digital & Technology180th of 198
  10. Gender & Equality172nd of 183
  11. Environment & Sustainability173rd of 181
  12. Democracy & Civil Libertiesjoint 190th of 198
  13. Governance & Institutions188th of 194
  14. Energy193rd of 193

No standing on Mobility & Trade, 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 Turkmenistan can most readily be measured against.

All 183 countries
  1. 1

    Latvia

    Northern Europe

    1st of 183 · 4 of 4 keys

    Photo: Marcin Szala · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale

  2. 2

    Taiwan

    Eastern Asia

    2nd of 183 · 3 of 4 keys

    Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale

  3. 3

    Italy

    Southern Europe

    3rd of 183 · 4 of 4 keys

    Photo: Francisco Antunes · CC BY 2.0, greyscale

Placed highest nearby

  1. Highest in Asia

    Taiwan2nd3/4 keys
  2. Highest in Central Asia

    Kazakhstan=90th4/4 keys
  3. This page

    Turkmenistan172nd2/4 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

Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan rank on gender & equality?

Turkmenistan is placed 172nd of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics (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's Political Empowerment Index figure for Turkmenistan?

0.437 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.

What is the latest Firms with a Female Top Manager figure for Turkmenistan?

6.084 in 2025 (firms with a female top manager (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 19.16.

How does Turkmenistan compare with Iran on gender & equality?

Iran is placed 181st of 183, and Turkmenistan 172nd. Women's Political Empowerment Index: Iran 0.32, Turkmenistan 0.437.

How have Turkmenistan’s gender & equality figures changed?

Women's Political Empowerment Index rose from 0.373 in 2000 to 0.437 in 2025.

Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Turkmenistan?

No current reading is published for Turkmenistan on Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Gender Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, Gender Social Norms Index, Social Institutions and Gender Index and Women, Business and the Law. 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.

About gender & equality, in full

How the Gender & Equality standing is decided, step by step

A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.

  1. A few key indicators decide it; the rest are context. 4 indicators on this topic are keys and 11 are charted alongside them without a vote. That split is the point: if every statistic voted, importing five more of one kind would quietly change what the topic is about.
  2. Each key is read at one edition. ⚠ The keys behind this standing do not all describe the same year — they run from 2023 to 2025, because publishers release on their own schedules. Read the standing as “how this country places now”, not as a snapshot of one year.
  3. Every country’s published value is turned into a place within that one key’s own field, and then expressed as a share of that field — how far down this key’s list the country sits, rather than how many countries are above it. Keys where a higher published number is worse (terrorism, hunger, disaster risk) are turned round first, so the good end is always the same end.
  4. Dividing by the field first is the whole reason this works. A place carries the size of its list inside it: 22nd of 44 and 108th of 215 are the same showing, and averaging the numbers 22 and 108 says loudly that they are not. Fields on this site run from about 44 countries to about 215, so averaging raw places would reward a country for happening to be measured in small ones. Dividing each place by its own field removes the size and leaves only the showing.
  5. The shares are averaged, plainly. One key, one vote — no key is weighted above another, because any weighting would be this site’s opinion presented as a measurement. Countries are then put in order by that average, and the average itself is never published. It is our arithmetic with nothing anchoring it, so printing it would invite it to be read as a measurement somebody made. The position it produces, the band, and the keys it was built from are all published instead — every one of them checkable against the tables on this page.
  6. A country needs 2 of this topic’s 4 keys — half, rounded up, and never fewer than 2. A standing built from one reading, printed beside one built from four, is two different things sharing a column heading. 183 countries clear the bar here.
  7. A key has to earn its vote every edition. It must measure at least 120 countries (below that it starts measuring who was surveyed rather than the world), it must not have more than 10% of its field tied at either end, and it must not repeat another key in the same topic — Spearman correlation above 0.92 counts as repeating. A topic needs at least 2 surviving keys to place anyone at all; this one has 4.
  8. A standing is relative, and the grouping is ours. It says where a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move. The publishers listed on this page did not agree to be read together, and each measures its subject its own way: the underlying numbers are theirs, the ordering on top is this site’s — the same method as the rest of the Country Index, applied to one subject instead of all of them.

The key statistics and their licences

The other 5 statistics on this page come from 4 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

Turkmenistan’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Turkmenistan: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/turkmenistan/gender

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