At a global level, in 2017 four regions have a remaining
gender gap of less than 30%—two of which are
crossing this threshold for the first time this year.
Western Europe records a remaining gender gap of
25%, placing it ahead of North America, with a gap of
28%, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with a gap of
29%, and Latin America and the Caribbean, with a gap
of 29.8%. The East Asia and the Pacific region ranks
ahead of Sub-Saharan Africa, with a remaining gender
gap of 31.7% and 32.4%, respectively, and South Asia,
with a gap of 34%. The Middle East and North Africa
region, for the first time this year, crosses the threshold
of having a remaining gender gap of slightly less than
40%.
While all world regions record a narrower gender gap
than they did 11 years ago, more efforts will continue to
be needed to accelerate progress. At the current rate of
progress, the overall global gender gap can be closed
in 61 years in Western Europe, 62 years in South Asia,
79 years in Latin America and the Caribbean, 102 years
in Sub-Saharan Africa, 128 years in Eastern Europe and
Central Asia, 157 years in the Middle East and North
Africa, 161 years in East Asia and the Pacific, and 168
years in North America.
Notable recent estimates
suggest that economic gender parity could add an
additional US$250 billion to the GDP of the United
Kingdom, US$1,750 billion to that of the United States,
US$550 billion to Japan’s, US$320 billion to France’s
and US$310 billion to the GDP of Germany. Other
recent estimates suggest that China could see a
US$2.5 trillion GDP increase from gender parity and
that the world as a whole could increase global GDP
by US$5.3 trillion by 2025 by closing the gender gap in
economic participation by 25% over the same period.
