Photo: Jialiang Gao www.peace-on-earth.org derivative work: JamesA · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Yemen: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Yemen is placed 183rd of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 26.88 (2025); Women's Political Empowerment Index 0.161 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
183rd
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 2 of 4 key statistics
- 26.88Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- 0.161Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
- —Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025No reading for this country
- —Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Yemen 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.
26.88
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Yemen: 26.88. 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
- Oman 48.75 · Saudi Arabia 73.75
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
0.161
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
Yemen: 0.161. 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
- Oman 0.357 · Saudi Arabia 0.347
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 Yemen, 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 Western Asia
- 28.23 Armenia
- Land neighbours
- Saudi Arabia 1.76
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 Yemen, 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 Western Asia
- 23.7 Armenia
- Land neighbours
- Saudi Arabia 59.2
02Over time
Which way Yemen 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
YemenWorld median
Yemen rose from 23.75 in 2000 to 26.88 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Yemen World median 2025 27 81.3 2023 27 81.3 2022 27 80.3 2021 27 80.0 2020 27 79.7 2019 27 78.8 2018 27 77.5 2017 27 77.5 2016 27 76.9 2015 27 75.9 2014 27 75.6 2013 27 75.0 2012 27 73.8 2011 27 73.1 2010 27 73.1 2009 27 72.5 2008 27 71.3 2007 24 69.7 2006 24 68.8 2005 24 67.2 2004 24 66.9 2003 24 64.7 2002 24 63.8 2001 24 63.8 2000 24 63.1 Women's Political Empowerment Index
Women's political empowerment index (0–1) · higher is better
YemenWorld median
Yemen fell from 0.247 in 2000 to 0.161 in 2025; the world median went from 0.681 to 0.772.
Every year’s figures
Year Yemen World median 2025 0.161 0.7715 2024 0.171 0.7745 2023 0.175 0.7755 2022 0.164 0.7825 2021 0.159 0.7785 2020 0.135 0.7755 2019 0.138 0.7665 2018 0.155 0.7715 2017 0.147 0.7710 2016 0.163 0.7780 2015 0.157 0.7755 2014 0.196 0.7795 2013 0.272 0.7730 2012 0.285 0.7740 2011 0.265 0.7650 2010 0.235 0.7610 2009 0.245 0.7515 2008 0.245 0.7505 2007 0.245 0.7380 2006 0.245 0.7290 2005 0.245 0.7350 2004 0.246 0.7205 2003 0.246 0.7160 2002 0.247 0.7150 2001 0.247 0.6950 2000 0.247 0.6810
03In context
Yemen 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.
Yemen 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Saudi Arabia | 167th | 73.75 | 0.347 | 1.76 | 59.2 |
 Oman | 176th | 48.75 | 0.357 | — | — |
| 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 Yemen in the topic’s list.
Syria180th
Iran181st
Sudan182nd- Yemen183rd
04Context, no vote
Where Yemen is ahead of the world, and behind
23 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 median1
Statistics on which Yemen does better than the middle country measured.
Female Genital Mutilation PrevalenceUNICEF · 2024 · world median 34.118.534.1No earlier reading
Yemen: 18.5 · world median 34.1 · Women aged 15-49 who have undergone FGM (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.3 to 99.2; lower is better.
Behind the world median18
Statistics on which Yemen does worse than the middle country measured.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.65118.446.65▼ Worsened since 2013
Yemen: 118.4 · 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 60th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gender Social Norms IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 91.8198.3691.81No earlier reading
Yemen: 98.36 · 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 25th of 91 · derived, 1st = worst.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.129.617.1No earlier reading
Yemen: 29.6 · 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 31st of 143 · derived, 1st = worst.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 303▼ Worsened since 2015
Yemen: 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.
Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His WifeUNICEF · 2025 · world median 22.448.722.4No earlier reading
Yemen: 48.7 · 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 24th of 125 · derived, 1st = worst.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2550.371.25No real change since 2013
Yemen: 50.3 · 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 160th of 196 · derived.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 987098▼ Worsened since 2015
Yemen: 70 · 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.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4675.3327.46▼ Worsened since 2013
Yemen: 75.33 · 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 35th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to LandFAO · 2025 · world median 313No earlier reading
Yemen: 1 · 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.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.946.996.9No earlier reading
Yemen: 46.9 · 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.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.126.56935.12No earlier reading
Yemen: 6.569 · 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 175th of 181 · derived.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8132.481No earlier reading
Yemen: 32.4 · 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 149th of 153 · derived.
Births Attended by Skilled Health StaffUNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance) · 2023 · world median 99.360.999.3▼ Worsened since 2013
Yemen: 60.9 · 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 84th of 84 · derived.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.364.66353.36No real change since 2015
Yemen: 4.663 · 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 182nd of 182 · derived.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9710.4070.971No real change since 2013
Yemen: 0.407 · 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 184th of 184 · derived.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.8380.351No real change since 2014
Yemen: 0.838 · 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 172nd of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Global Gender Parity IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 2022 · world median 0.7260.1410.726No earlier reading
Yemen: 0.141 · world median 0.726 · Global Gender Parity Index (women's achievements relative to men's; 1 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women, 2023 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0.141 to 0.925; higher is better.
Women's Empowerment IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women · 2022 · world median 0.6150.1410.615No earlier reading
Yemen: 0.141 · world median 0.615 · Women's Empowerment Index (0–1; higher = more empowerment). UNDP Human Development Report Office and UN Women, 2023 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0.141 to 0.828; 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 105.1105.9105.1Moved since 2013
Yemen: 105.9 · 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 24.652324.65No earlier reading
Yemen: 23 · 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 20.6510.820.65No earlier reading
Yemen: 10.8 · 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.
Female-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.218.333.21No earlier reading
Yemen: 8.3 · 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 Yemen
Account Ownership Among Women, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management (last 2014), Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2011), Social Institutions and Gender 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 Yemen’s 15 topics
Gender & Equality is Yemen’s 14th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainability49th of 1863/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality118th of 1592/3 keys
- Energyjoint 127th of 1652/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing172nd of 2003/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital170th of 1963/3 keys
- Mobility & Tradejoint 155th of 1773/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge187th of 1983/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture175th of 1842/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions189th of 1944/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties195th of 1983/4 keys
- Work & Labour181st of 1824/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience192nd of 1933/4 keys
- Digital & Technology198th of 1983/4 keys
- Gender & Equality183rd of 1832/4 keys
- Peace & Security177th of 1773/4 keys
No standing on Economy & Innovation: 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 Yemen 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
Yemen183rd2/4 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
Yemen 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 Yemen rank on gender & equality?
Yemen is placed 183rd of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law and Women's Political Empowerment 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 Yemen?
26.88 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 Yemen?
0.161 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 Yemen compare with Saudi Arabia on gender & equality?
Saudi Arabia is placed 167th of 183, and Yemen 183rd. Women, Business and the Law: Saudi Arabia 73.75, Yemen 26.88; Women's Political Empowerment Index: Saudi Arabia 0.347, Yemen 0.161.
How have Yemen’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 23.75 in 2000 to 26.88 in 2025; Women's Political Empowerment Index fell from 0.247 in 2000 to 0.161 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Yemen?
No current reading is published for Yemen on Account Ownership Among Women, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of Senior and Middle Management, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Social Institutions and Gender 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 23 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
Yemen’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Yemen (banner) — Jialiang Gao www.peace-on-earth.org derivative work: JamesA, 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). Yemen: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/yemen/gender