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UN DESA Population Division · Sex Ratio of the Total Population

Sex ratio by country

How many men are there for every 100 women?

Of the 222 countries compared in 2023, Qatar had the highest reading, 251.0773, and Hong Kong had the lowest reading, 82.0801. In the middle country the figure was 98.4846. Among the 222 countries measured in every edition since 1950, the middle one moved from 98.7051 to 98.4846.

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Part ofPeople & Population

Sex ratio · 2023

Context statistic

Highest of 222Qatar

251.0773

012023 · values only

The highest and the lowest

The three countries with the highest values of 222 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.

  1. 1

    Qatar

    Western Asia

    251.0773

  2. 2

    United Arab Emirates

    Western Asia

    177.8729

  3. 3

    Maldives

    Southern Asia

    163.8201

Lowest in 2023

  1. Hong Kong82.0801
  2. Moldova85.2703
  3. Macau85.6263

This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.

Highest on each continent

02Every measured country

Sex ratio on a map

Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.

All regions

Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.

  • 82.0801–94.5457
  • 94.5974–97.7053
  • 97.7374–99.4434
  • 99.4717–101.9847
  • 102.0090–251.0773
  • No reading in 2023
  • Oceania

    102.0090

    the middle country, of 21 measured · 21 members

    Palau116.9165

    Tonga90.1531

    Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.

  • Asia

    99.7359

    the middle country, of 51 measured · 52 members

    Qatar251.0773

    Hong Kong82.0801

    Highest and lowest reading in Asia.

  • Africa

    99.2002

    the middle country, of 54 measured · 55 members

    Seychelles123.1241

    Zimbabwe90.8999

    Highest and lowest reading in Africa.

  • Americas

    97.7911

    the middle country, of 48 measured · 48 members

    Greenland111.1678

    Saint Martin87.7098

    Highest and lowest reading in Americas.

  • Europe

    96.5853

    the middle country, of 48 measured · 49 members

    Malta107.8705

    Moldova85.2703

    Highest and lowest reading in Europe.

22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
  • Micronesia

    103.7927

    the middle country, of 7 measured · 7 members

    Palau116.9165

    Kiribati94.0417

    Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.

  • Southern Asia

    103.2503

    the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members

    Maldives163.8201

    Nepal92.6298

    Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.

  • Melanesia

    102.0090

    the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members

    Papua New Guinea106.0759

    New Caledonia97.3136

    Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.

  • Northern Africa

    101.8858

    the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members

    Algeria104.1311

    Tunisia97.8333

    Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.

  • Polynesia

    101.3774

    the middle country, of 7 measured · 7 members

    Tuvalu104.7242

    Tonga90.1531

    Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.

  • Western Asia

    101.1095

    the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members

    Qatar251.0773

    Armenia86.5244

    Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.

  • South-eastern Asia

    100.9443

    the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members

    Brunei113.4044

    Thailand95.0958

    Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.

  • Western Africa

    99.7149

    the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members

    Côte d’Ivoire103.7501

    Togo95.2310

    Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.

  • Middle Africa

    99.3570

    the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members

    Equatorial Guinea111.7117

    Central African Republic91.9113

    Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.

  • South America

    98.6500

    the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members

    Paraguay100.6053

    Uruguay94.1515

    Highest and lowest reading in South America.

  • Eastern Africa

    98.3240

    the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members

    Seychelles123.1241

    Zimbabwe90.8999

    Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.

  • Northern Europe

    98.0786

    the middle country, of 12 measured · 13 members

    Faroe Islands107.1226

    Latvia86.2854

    Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.

  • Central America

    98.0492

    the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members

    Belize101.8999

    El Salvador90.4827

    Highest and lowest reading in Central America.

  • Eastern Asia

    97.9770

    the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members

    China103.9953

    Hong Kong82.0801

    Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.

  • Western Europe

    97.5316

    the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members

    Luxembourg101.2877

    France94.0583

    Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.

  • Central Asia

    96.4618

    the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members

    Uzbekistan101.7664

    Kazakhstan94.8623

    Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.

  • Caribbean

    96.2588

    the middle country, of 24 measured · 24 members

    Saint Vincent and the Grenadines104.0406

    Saint Martin87.7098

    Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.

  • Southern Europe

    95.4840

    the middle country, of 17 measured · 17 members

    Malta107.8705

    Serbia90.4439

    Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.

  • Southern Africa

    95.4567

    the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members

    Botswana99.4928

    South Africa94.7279

    Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.

  • Eastern Europe

    93.0222

    the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members

    Czechia97.2751

    Moldova85.2703

    Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.

  • Australia and New Zealand

    2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.

    New Zealand98.7012

    Australia98.4707

    Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.

  • Northern America

    4 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, United States.

    Greenland111.1678

    Bermuda95.9447

    Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.

03The whole field at once

The spread

222 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 98.4846; a quarter are above 101.3550, and a quarter below 95.2651. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.

100150200250Africa54 comparedSeychelles: 123.1241Equatorial Guinea: 111.7117Algeria: 104.1311Côte d’Ivoire: 103.7501Senegal: 103.5817Cabo Verde: 103.5261Libya: 103.4426Gabon: 103.2468Niger: 103.1407Nigeria: 102.2462Egypt: 101.9847Mali: 101.8702Morocco: 101.7869Comoros: 101.1846Chad: 100.6576Madagascar: 100.6298Benin: 100.5426Ethiopia: 100.4371Somalia: 100.4044Republic of the Congo: 99.9862Mauritius: 99.9327Ghana: 99.8059Liberia: 99.6240Botswana: 99.4928Sierra Leone: 99.4717Cameroon: 99.3570Burkina Faso: 99.2364Gambia: 99.1639São Tomé and Príncipe: 98.9328Kenya: 98.9038Burundi: 98.7009DR Congo: 98.4580Sudan: 98.4156Djibouti: 98.3247Uganda: 98.3232Tanzania: 98.2443Zambia: 97.9798Angola: 97.9183Tunisia: 97.8333Guinea: 97.7976Guinea-Bissau: 97.6368Eritrea: 97.4207South Sudan: 96.8156Eswatini: 96.4127Mauritania: 96.1527Namibia: 95.4567Malawi: 95.2422Togo: 95.2310Rwanda: 95.1111Lesotho: 94.9384South Africa: 94.7279Mozambique: 94.1103Central African Republic: 91.9113Zimbabwe: 90.8999Zimbabwe 90.8999 · Seychelles 123.1241Americas48 comparedGreenland: 111.1678Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 104.0406Belize: 101.8999Honduras: 101.4105United States: 100.9948Cayman Islands: 100.8635Grenada: 100.7080Paraguay: 100.6053Bolivia: 100.4470Turks and Caicos Islands: 100.2948Dominica: 100.2574Panama: 100.0442Suriname: 99.9402Montserrat: 99.6612Ecuador: 99.4434Peru: 98.9728Dominican Republic: 98.9081Chile: 98.8014Canada: 98.6456Argentina: 98.4986Guatemala: 98.3930Haiti: 98.0561Jamaica: 97.8884Trinidad and Tobago: 97.8447Venezuela: 97.7374Costa Rica: 97.7053Saint Lucia: 97.6992Cuba: 97.4547Colombia: 97.4190Brazil: 96.9088Nicaragua: 96.7578Bermuda: 95.9447Sint Maarten: 95.0629Guyana: 94.9424Anguilla: 94.5457Mexico: 94.1816Uruguay: 94.1515Barbados: 92.1026Saint Kitts and Nevis: 92.0246Bahamas: 91.5488United States Virgin Islands: 91.5406Antigua and Barbuda: 90.8000Curaçao: 90.7116El Salvador: 90.4827British Virgin Islands: 89.5098Aruba: 89.5038Puerto Rico: 89.1001Saint Martin: 87.7098Saint Martin 87.7098 · Greenland 111.1678Asia51 comparedQatar: 251.0773United Arab Emirates: 177.8729Maldives: 163.8201Oman: 163.6999Bahrain: 163.6901Kuwait: 157.4493Saudi Arabia: 154.1567Bhutan: 115.0347Brunei: 113.4044Malaysia: 110.1329Singapore: 106.9963Jordan: 106.6346India: 106.5639China: 103.9953Iran: 103.3998Pakistan: 103.2503Yemen: 102.6227Afghanistan: 101.9161Uzbekistan: 101.7664Timor-Leste: 101.6405Cyprus: 101.5325Laos: 101.0162Indonesia: 100.9443Iraq: 100.6865Syria: 99.9707Türkiye: 99.7359South Korea: 99.6719Mongolia: 99.5690Philippines: 99.5318Myanmar: 99.1856Israel: 99.0859Palestine: 98.8025Taiwan: 98.2158Kyrgyzstan: 97.7944North Korea: 97.7381Bangladesh: 96.8412Tajikistan: 96.4618Turkmenistan: 96.2234Azerbaijan: 96.0805Cambodia: 95.9957Vietnam: 95.9957Japan: 95.3338Thailand: 95.0958Kazakhstan: 94.8623Lebanon: 94.5974Sri Lanka: 93.7589Nepal: 92.6298Georgia: 87.2766Armenia: 86.5244Macau: 85.6263Hong Kong: 82.0801Hong Kong 82.0801Qatar 251.0773Europe48 comparedMalta: 107.8705Faroe Islands: 107.1226Iceland: 104.9170Andorra: 104.6884Norway: 101.5586Sweden: 101.4426Luxembourg: 101.2877Slovenia: 100.8613Gibraltar: 99.0660Denmark: 98.8286Netherlands: 98.6821Liechtenstein: 98.6704Switzerland: 98.6537Isle of Man: 98.1180Ireland: 98.0391Albania: 97.7879Finland: 97.7004Germany: 97.5316Czechia: 97.2751Belgium: 97.2089United Kingdom: 96.9666Austria: 96.9295Kosovo: 96.8038San Marino: 96.7082Spain: 96.4623Monaco: 95.8843Italy: 95.4840Slovakia: 95.4096North Macedonia: 94.6825France: 94.0583Poland: 94.0261Romania: 93.9344Greece: 93.9316Bulgaria: 93.7909Croatia: 93.1281Montenegro: 92.7544Hungary: 92.2534Vatican City: 91.6828Portugal: 90.9709Bosnia and Herzegovina: 90.6766Estonia: 90.4671Serbia: 90.4439Lithuania: 89.2268Belarus: 87.2790Ukraine: 86.9026Russia: 86.6886Latvia: 86.2854Moldova: 85.2703Moldova 85.2703 · Malta 107.8705Oceania21 comparedPalau: 116.9165Northern Mariana Islands: 111.4922Papua New Guinea: 106.0759Marshall Islands: 105.1787Tuvalu: 104.7242Solomon Islands: 104.6406Nauru: 103.7927Guam: 102.8353French Polynesia: 102.4445American Samoa: 102.0494Vanuatu: 102.0090Samoa: 101.3774Micronesia: 98.8006New Zealand: 98.7012Fiji: 98.5305Australia: 98.4707New Caledonia: 97.3136Cook Islands: 96.3144Kiribati: 94.0417Niue: 93.0430Tonga: 90.1531Tonga 90.1531 · Palau 116.9165middle country 98.4846

04All 222 ever measured

Every country

In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. Neither end is better, and this is not a table of gender imbalance. The top is dominated by countries whose workforces are recruited from abroad and are mostly male; the bottom by countries where men have emigrated for work or die markedly younger. For the balance of boys and girls born, read the sex ratio at birth.

The raw table

Showing 25 of 222 countries

  1. QatarWestern Asia251.0773
  2. United Arab EmiratesWestern Asia177.8729
  3. MaldivesSouthern Asia163.8201
  4. OmanWestern Asia163.6999
  5. BahrainWestern Asia163.6901
  6. KuwaitWestern Asia157.4493
  7. Saudi ArabiaWestern Asia154.1567
  8. SeychellesEastern Africa123.1241
  9. PalauMicronesia116.9165
  10. BhutanSouthern Asia115.0347
  11. BruneiSouth-eastern Asia113.4044
  12. Equatorial GuineaMiddle Africa111.7117
  13. Northern Mariana IslandsMicronesia111.4922
  14. GreenlandNorthern America111.1678
  15. MalaysiaSouth-eastern Asia110.1329
  16. MaltaSouthern Europe107.8705
  17. Faroe IslandsNorthern Europe107.1226
  18. SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia106.9963
  19. JordanWestern Asia106.6346
  20. IndiaSouthern Asia106.5639
  21. Papua New GuineaMelanesia106.0759
  22. Marshall IslandsMicronesia105.1787
  23. IcelandNorthern Europe104.9170
  24. TuvaluPolynesia104.7242
  25. AndorraSouthern Europe104.6884

Values for 2023. The change column compares 2023 with 2022 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.

051950–2023 · 74 reference years

Over time

Each point is one year's estimate, 1950 to 2023, as restated by the 2024 revision. The line drifts slowly as a population ages, because women live longer, and moves sharply when large numbers of working-age men arrive or leave.

9597.5100102.5105107.5195019601970198019902000201020202023OceaniaAsiaAfricaAmericasEurope
  • the middle country
  • the middle half of countries
  • the middle of the 222 countries measured every time
  • each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
YearCountriesMiddle countryMiddle halfMeasured every time
202322298.484695.2651 – 101.355098.4846
202222298.473895.3568 – 101.353998.4738
202122298.507195.2548 – 101.238398.5071
202022298.489695.2942 – 101.304198.4896
201922298.513095.3265 – 101.564398.5130
201822298.540795.5616 – 101.521598.5407
201722298.512095.3554 – 101.398598.5120
201622298.536795.2486 – 101.314498.5367
201522298.633595.1755 – 101.312598.6335
201422298.576095.2289 – 101.321298.5760
201322298.548895.3120 – 101.442698.5488
201222298.557795.1827 – 101.527198.5577
201122298.633695.3214 – 101.540798.6336
201022298.654295.5186 – 101.636898.6542
200922298.647395.4295 – 101.605098.6473
200822298.587795.4955 – 101.471098.5877
200722298.582095.4653 – 101.371398.5820
200622298.539395.4338 – 101.434698.5393
200522298.454695.3644 – 101.459998.4546
200422298.428995.3442 – 101.490298.4289
200322298.448195.2764 – 101.646998.4481
200222298.530995.1503 – 101.802698.5309
200122298.529594.9710 – 101.896398.5295
200022298.420995.0922 – 101.806698.4209
199922298.375795.1730 – 101.871898.3757
199822298.177895.0584 – 101.669798.1778
199722298.191195.0714 – 101.592298.1911
199622298.328794.9776 – 101.775398.3287
199522298.417194.9916 – 101.913798.4171
199422298.479695.0104 – 102.089798.4796
199322298.601995.2906 – 102.049398.6019
199222298.614995.4500 – 102.063898.6149
199122298.607695.5365 – 102.081498.6076
199022298.582395.5097 – 102.204998.5823
198922298.567795.4679 – 102.159098.5677
198822298.385295.5081 – 102.472698.3852
198722298.374195.5328 – 102.258598.3741
198622298.431095.5770 – 102.210398.4310
198522298.538295.4951 – 102.289098.5382
198422298.553795.4634 – 102.346498.5537
198322298.582595.4101 – 102.250698.5825
198222298.657895.2755 – 102.212398.6578
198122298.782595.2736 – 102.299998.7825
198022298.833995.1212 – 102.366798.8339
197922298.699195.0043 – 102.313998.6991
197822298.638695.0043 – 102.132898.6386
197722298.540795.0061 – 102.064698.5407
197622298.606894.9607 – 102.103498.6068
197522298.477295.0741 – 102.297798.4772
197422298.670895.1409 – 102.401198.6708
197322298.647995.3533 – 102.372098.6479
197222298.667795.4799 – 102.352598.6677
197122298.810095.4217 – 102.393398.8100
197022298.795395.3446 – 102.307498.7953
196922298.910295.1186 – 102.409498.9102
196822298.885995.0148 – 102.565498.8859
196722298.866594.9818 – 102.547298.8665
196622298.609694.8197 – 102.576498.6096
196522298.599894.8342 – 102.526598.5998
196422298.554194.7765 – 102.401498.5541
196322298.511794.6330 – 102.365398.5117
196222298.417194.3939 – 102.523498.4171
196122298.462694.5401 – 102.167298.4626
196022298.576694.3817 – 102.255898.5766
195922298.809794.2024 – 102.060398.8097
195822298.648594.0728 – 102.189498.6485
195722298.566293.9644 – 102.318898.5662
195622298.667794.0143 – 102.579298.6677
195522298.634094.2673 – 102.600498.6340
195422298.680794.3146 – 102.816298.6807
195322298.712594.5835 – 102.914998.7125
195222298.605294.5570 – 103.152898.6052
195122298.624994.3023 – 103.466698.6249
195022298.705194.1302 – 103.706698.7051

062022 → 2023

Who rose and fell

The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.

Rose most

before → after
  1. Oman160.1132 → 163.6999+3.5867
  2. British Virgin Islands88.6102 → 89.5098+0.8996
  3. Bahrain162.9701 → 163.6901+0.7200
  4. Kuwait156.7687 → 157.4493+0.6806
  5. San Marino96.1394 → 96.7082+0.5688

Fell most

before → after
  1. Qatar255.2030 → 251.0773−4.1257
  2. Tonga91.3664 → 90.1531−1.2133
  3. Central African Republic92.9777 → 91.9113−1.0664
  4. Maldives164.8072 → 163.8201−0.9871
  5. United States Virgin Islands92.2976 → 91.5406−0.7570

222 countries were measured in both 2022 and 2023.

07Across every edition

Sex ratio in records

The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.

08The measure

About sex ratio

The sex ratio of the total population is the number of males for every 100 females, counting people of all ages. Near 100 means roughly equal numbers; above 100, more men; below, more women.

What the number is: Males per 100 females.

What it does not measure

It is not a measure of discrimination: most of the difference between countries comes from migrant workforces, emigration and women living longer.

09Where it fits

Connections

Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.

All statistics

In the Country Index

Context, with no vote

This statistic is published in full under People & Population, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.

People & PopulationWhich statistics vote, and why

Moves with

Where sex ratio is higher, these tend to be higher too.

Moves against

Where sex ratio is higher, these tend to be lower.

Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 386 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.

On the same subject

10Keep reading

Explore further

More from UN DESA Population Division

11Questions

Sex ratio: questions and answers

Which country has the highest sex ratio?

Qatar, at 251.0773, among the 222 countries compared in 2023.

Which country has the lowest sex ratio?

Hong Kong, at 82.0801, among the 222 countries compared in 2023.

How many countries does the Sex Ratio of the Total Population cover?

222 in 2023.

What is the world average sex ratio?

This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 222 compared in 2023, the figure was 98.4846.

Is this UN DESA Population Division’s own ranking?

No ranking is shown. UN DESA Population Division publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.

How often is the Sex Ratio of the Total Population published?

This site holds 74 reference years, 1950–2023, all recalculated in UN DESA Population Division’s 2024 report on one method — not 74 separate publications.

Where does the data come from, and can I download it?

From UN DESA Population Division, under CC BY 3.0 IGO. From World Population Prospects 2024, read from the Population Division's own CSV download. Projections are excluded. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.

12Method

Sources, method and citation

Source

Sex Ratio of the Total Population — UN DESA Population Division

From World Population Prospects 2024, read from the Population Division's own CSV download. Projections are excluded.

Newest edition

Report year 2023Data year 2023

Cite the source as: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024. New York: United Nations.

Licence: CC BY 3.0 IGO, checked 2026-09-26.

The full 2023 table, row for row

How this page reads the numbers

  • No rank or position is shown: UN DESA Population Division publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
  • This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
  • A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
  • Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.

The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Sex ratio by country: Sex Ratio of the Total Population, data from UN DESA Population Division. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/sex-ratio

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