Photo: Rastapopulous · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Turkmenistan: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Turkmenistan is placed 172nd of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.437 (2025); Firms with a Female Top Manager 6.084 (2025).
Share
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.
No reading
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
World Bank Group publishes no 2025 figure for Turkmenistan, so the standing rests on the other keys.
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 Central Asia
- 86.25 Kyrgyzstan
- Land neighbours
- Afghanistan 3.125 · Iran 31.25 · Kazakhstan 75.63 · Uzbekistan 82.5
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
0.437
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
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
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
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 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
02Over time
Which way Turkmenistan 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's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
TurkmenistanWorld median
Turkmenistan rose from 0.373 in 2000 to 0.437 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Turkmenistan World median 2025 0.437 0.7715 2024 0.434 0.7745 2023 0.429 0.7755 2022 0.418 0.7825 2021 0.415 0.7785 2020 0.411 0.7755 2019 0.410 0.7665 2018 0.383 0.7715 2017 0.357 0.7710 2016 0.367 0.7780 2015 0.363 0.7755 2014 0.369 0.7795 2013 0.376 0.7730 2012 0.318 0.7740 2011 0.316 0.7650 2010 0.312 0.7610 2009 0.314 0.7515 2008 0.313 0.7505 2007 0.305 0.7380 2006 0.293 0.7290 2005 0.293 0.7350 2004 0.307 0.7205 2003 0.373 0.7160 2002 0.373 0.7150 2001 0.373 0.6950 2000 0.373 0.6810
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.
Turkmenistan 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kazakhstan | =91st | 75.63 | 0.682 | 31.1 | 20.9 |
 Uzbekistan | =131st | 82.5 | 0.643 | 12.34 | — |
| Turkmenistan | 172nd | — | 0.437 | 6.084 | — |
 Afghanistan | 175th | 3.125 | 0.028 | 9.579 | — |
 Iran | 181st | 31.25 | 0.32 | — | 62.9 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Central Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
- Kazakhstan=91st
Kyrgyzstan93rd- Uzbekistan=131st
Tajikistan=155th- Turkmenistan172nd
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
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 median6
Statistics on which Turkmenistan does better than the middle country measured.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.910096.9No earlier reading
Turkmenistan: 100 · 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.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.654.5246.65▲ 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, 1st = worst.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 819481No earlier reading
Turkmenistan: 94 · 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 29th of 153 · derived.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.16.117.1No 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, 1st = worst.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2576.571.25▼ Worsened since 2013
Turkmenistan: 76.5 · 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 69th of 196 · derived.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4621.2327.46▼ Worsened since 2013
Turkmenistan: 21.23 · 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 126th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median4
Statistics on which Turkmenistan does worse than the middle country measured.
Gender Parity Index, Tertiary EnrolmentUIS · 2024 · world median 1.2441.0721.244▲ Improved since 2014
Turkmenistan: 1.072 · 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 11th of 95 · derived.
Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His WifeUNICEF · 2025 · world median 22.431.922.4No earlier reading
Turkmenistan: 31.9 · 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 51st of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3638.2453.36▼ 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.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1210.3835.12No earlier reading
Turkmenistan: 10.38 · 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 169th of 181 · derived.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to LandFAO · 2025 · world median 333No earlier reading
Turkmenistan: 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 end4
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 105.1106.7105.1Moved 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.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6523.524.65No earlier reading
Turkmenistan: 23.5 · 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-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.2124.2733.21No earlier reading
Turkmenistan: 24.27 · 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.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.656.220.65No earlier reading
Turkmenistan: 6.2 · 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 Turkmenistan
Account Ownership Among Women (last 2017), Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff (last 2022), Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Length of Paid Maternity Leave, Length of Paid Paternity Leave, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women, Business and the Law, 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 Turkmenistan’s 14 topics
Gender & Equality is Turkmenistan’s 10th best-placed topic of 14. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 48th of 1933/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital73rd of 1963/3 keys
- Peace & Security80th of 1773/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing123rd of 2003/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge126th of 1984/4 keys
- Food & Agriculturejoint 122nd of 1844/4 keys
- Work & Labour123rd of 1824/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation130th of 1763/4 keys
- Digital & Technology172nd of 1983/4 keys
- Gender & Equality172nd of 1832/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability179th of 1863/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions188th of 1944/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties194th of 1984/4 keys
- Energy165th of 1652/3 keys
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.
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 Central Asia
Kazakhstan=91st4/4 keysThis 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 Account Ownership Among Women, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Length of Paid Maternity Leave, Length of Paid Paternity Leave, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women, Business and the Law, 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 7 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.
- Turkmenistan (banner) — Rastapopulous, 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). Turkmenistan: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/turkmenistan/gender