In honor of International Women’s Day, The Economist has released its annual glass-ceiling index, which evaluates the working conditions for women across 29 countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The rankings are based on ten key measures, including higher education, labor-force participation, gender wage gap, parental leave policies, and representation in leadership roles.
While several Nordic countries continue to lead the way in gender equality at work, the United States ranked 19th, failing to make it into the top 10.
Why the U.S. Ranked So Poorly
The U.S. consistently falls below the OECD average on most of the measured indicators, says Lizzy Peet, a data researcher at The Economist.
“It’s obviously not great, particularly for such a wealthy and important country. It really should be doing better,” Peet told.
One of the biggest reasons for the U.S.’s poor ranking is its lack of federally mandated parental leave—a policy that exists in every other OECD country except the U.S.
“Not having mandated parental leave forces a lot of women out of the labor force, which feeds into the reason why there’s still just a sizable gender pay gap and why women’s representation in board and management roles is a bit lower than it should be,” Peet explained.
As a result, fewer women remain in the workforce, fewer move up the corporate ladder, and the wage gap persists.
Sweden Takes the Top Spot
Sweden ended Iceland’s two-year streak at No. 1 to become the best country for working women in 2025.
Some key highlights of Sweden’s ranking:
- 43.7% of managerial positions are held by women, the highest in the index.
- 37.7% of board seats are occupied by women.
- 46.7% of government seats are held by women.
- The gender wage gap is only 7.3%, significantly lower than the OECD average of 11.4%.
Sweden has consistently ranked among the top 10 for gender equality since the World Economic Forum began tracking the gap between men and women in 2006. The country has also made history by introducing gender-neutral parental leave, replacing traditional maternity leave policies.
Iceland Falls to No. 2—But Remains a Global Leader
Iceland, which had been No. 1 for two years, slipped to second place due to a drop in the percentage of women in management, falling from 39.6% to 36.8%.
However, Iceland remains a trailblazer for gender equality. It was the first country to elect a female president and continues to have one of the lowest overall gender gaps in the world.
The 10 Best Countries for Working Women in 2025
According to The Economist’s glass-ceiling index, these are the top 10 countries for working women:
- Sweden
- Iceland
- Finland
- Norway
- Portugal
- New Zealand
- France
- Spain
- Denmark
- Australia
Nordic nations continue to dominate the list, with their strong focus on higher education, flexible work policies, and gender-inclusive leadership.
A Wake-Up Call for the U.S.?
The findings highlight the ongoing challenges working women face in the United States. While some progress has been made, structural policies—such as lack of parental leave and lower female representation in leadership—continue to hold American women back in the workforce.
As gender equality remains a global conversation, the question remains: Will the U.S. take action to improve its ranking in the coming years?
The Information is Collected from CNBC and AOL.
