The EU Gender Equality Index 2023, by country

The Gender Equality Index benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political, education, and health-based criteria among the countries of the European Union. A score of 0 indicates that there is no gender equality, while 100 points indicate that gender equality is achieved. In the 2023 index, the leading country was Sweden with a score of 82.2 points. The Netherlands and Denmark were the second and third most gender equal countries. Considering the other side of the spectrum, Romania only scored 56.1 points, way below the EU average of 70.2. Other countries at the bottom of the ranking were Hungary and Czechia. 

Equality in health

Not only does the index measure gender equality on national levels, it also breaks down gender equality into different dimensions. With an index score of 88 points, health was the most equal dimension among men and women within the EU, followed by money and work. To the contrary, power was considered the most unequal dimension, along with knowledge and time management.

The Global Gender Gap Index

From a global perspective, Iceland is considered the most gender equal country. Dominating this list are the Nordic countries: Norway, Finland, New Zealand, and Sweden rank in the top-5. As of 2023, it was estimated that Europe had closed 76.3 percent of its gender gap, making it the most successful region in the world, before North- and Latin America. Nevertheless, experts predict that gender parity will not be achieved in the region for another 67 years.