Over 25 years of missed opportunities

Our latest Women in Business report reveals the pace towards parity in mid-market firms isn’t moving fast enough. A young woman starting her career today will be working for more than a quarter of a century before she can expect to work at a mid-market firm with gender parity in top senior roles. Our research explores how gender balanced teams can bring better business performance – and with small and mid-market firms making up the largest part of the global economy [i], now is the time to keep up the pressure.

Avoid another missed generation

 

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KEY INSIGHTS

Women in leadership

Although some economies are close to reaching parity in senior leadership positions, the global rate of change is concerningly slow – advancing at a rate that would raise concerns if discussing the rate of economic growth. And yet both scenarios have similar, far-reaching consequences for the global economy.

The regional picture over time

Percentage of senior leadership roles held by women, shown by region and country over the last 21 years

Source: Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) research into the views and expectations of senior leaders within the mid-market for 21 years
  % women in senior management
Country Name Country Code X Coordinate Y Coordinate 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2009 2007 2004
Global GL 92.5 118 34.0% 33.5% 32.4% 31.9% 31.2% 28.7% 28.8% 24.1% 24.5% 23.5% 22.3% 24.0% 24.2% 20.9% 20.2% 23.9% 24.1% 19.4%
Argentina AR 27 11 34.9% 30.8% 29.4% 30.5% 30.8% 23.6% 19.8% 22.9% 15.0% 17.6% 15.7% 25.0% 18.1% 19.5% 18.3% 17.4%    
Australia AU 92 15 36.5% 39.6% 39.5% 32.0% 32.4% 28.4% 41.9% 15.1% 23.3% 22.9% 22.0% 22.0% 22.5% 24.2% 27.1% 23.0% 21.9% 22.1%
Brazil BR 28.5 24.6 36.7% 37.1% 38.6% 37.8% 39.0% 34.4% 25.4% 29.5% 18.7% 18.5% 15.2% 22.0% 23.1% 26.5% 23.7% 28.7% 42.0%  
Canada CA 16 70 34.7% 35.5% 38.6% 30.4% 35.6% 32.0% 28.4% 25.0% 23.4% 26.4% 25.1% 23.0% 26.6% 25.1% 27.8% 27.9% 18.6% 22.4%
China CN 80 48 35.3% 32.6% 35.4% 32.3% 28.6% 31.4% 28.3% 30.9% 31.3% 29.8% 24.7% 38.0% 39.0% 25.2% 33.8% 31.4% 31.9%  
Egypt EG 57.1 37.7 30.3%                                  
France FR 46 53 37.7% 37.9% 34.8% 31.1% 32.9% 27.9% 18.5% 32.8% 30.9% 28.0% 32.6% 24.0% 25.7% 23.8% 21.2% 17.8% 21.2% 20.7%
Germany DE 52 56 30.1% 30.6% 29.9% 34.9% 38.2% 29.8% 35.5% 23.2% 18.4% 15.2% 14.0% 14.0% 31.3% 12.9% 11.4% 17.4% 11.6% 16.3%
Greece GR 54.7 46.3 30.7% 31.6% 36.8% 28.3% 32.6% 24.5% 21.8% 26.0% 19.8% 26.7% 27.0% 29.0% 29.5% 21.3% 29.9% 23.0% 20.6% 22.0%
India IN 72 36 36.5% 33.9% 36.0% 38.0% 39.1% 29.9% 28.2% 19.8% 16.9% 16.2% 15.2% 14.0% 18.9% 14.5% 9.2% 15.4% 13.9% 11.7%
Indonesia ID 91 28 36.3% 37.4% 38.7% 38.1% 37.7% 36.6% 31.9% 42.6% 45.6% 36.2% 20.2% 41.0%            
Ireland IE 41 57 36.5% 36.0% 40.3% 30.5% 32.8% 31.1% 34.9% 31.8% 26.0% 19.1% 24.4% 23.0% 21.2% 21.3% 19.4% 21.5% 21.0% 15.6%
Italy IT 49.7 46.3 34.8% 35.7% 34.0% 29.9% 29.0% 27.6% 24.3% 33.9% 26.9% 29.0% 26.1% 30.0% 23.8% 36.0% 21.6% 21.0% 14.3% 18.2%
Japan JP 90 50 18.4% 19.5% 15.9% 14.9% 14.7% 12.1% 15.4% 5.4% 7.1% 7.3% 7.8% 9.0% 7.4% 5.3% 8.1% 6.6% 6.6% 7.6%
Kenya KE 59.7 29.2 37.9%                                  
Malaysia MY 79.6 28 36.2% 39.6% 40.4% 40.1% 36.9% 33.4% 22.7% 27.9% 24.2% 26.5% 22.4% 25.0% 25.8% 28.3% 31.3% 31.3% 23.0%  
Mexico MX 14 37 38.9% 36.2% 38.0% 32.6% 35.0% 36.9% 25.5% 33.9% 23.9% 18.2% 22.5% 28.0% 22.8% 18.3% 18.5% 30.9% 20.4% 26.6%
Morocco MA 45.7 40.9 34.2%                                  
Nigeria NG 48 30 34.0% 40.6% 38.7% 37.7% 35.7% 36.2% 38.5% 30.1% 29.3% 28.8% 20.5%              
Philippines PH 87.8 35.8 43.0% 43.1% 48.8% 39.2% 48.0% 42.9% 37.5% 46.6% 39.5% 39.0%   40.0% 37.1% 38.6% 34.8% 47.5% 50.3% 39.4%
Singapore SG 84.5 28 36.3% 31.3% 49.3% 33.8% 32.8% 30.7% 33.0% 29.7% 29.8% 25.8% 22.9% 23.0% 27.4% 23.1% 29.9% 27.9% 20.8% 23.0%
South Africa ZA 53 13 47.2% 42.0% 41.0% 42.5% 43.4% 40.1% 24.2% 29.0% 28.2% 22.7% 27.3% 26.0% 28.2% 28.1% 27.4% 27.9% 29.3% 26.5%
South Korea KR 94 62 21.7% 19.6% 23.5% 21.1% 18.3% 16.5% 29.9%                      
Spain ES 42 47.2 40.4% 40.3% 37.6% 35.9% 33.5% 33.8% 29.7% 27.2% 27.2% 25.8% 25.6% 22.0% 21.4% 24.1% 22.2% 20.6% 17.3% 14.1%
Sweden SE 51 68 35.3% 34.3% 30.5% 32.0% 30.1% 26.9% 21.6% 29.5% 28.5% 25.8% 28.0% 26.0% 26.8% 22.9% 26.7% 21.5% 22.5% 17.7%
Thailand TH 79.7 37.8 43.1% 41.0% 36.6% 38.0% 34.2% 33.5% 19.4% 42.1% 31.4% 37.1% 27.2% 38.0% 35.8% 39.3% 45.0% 37.8% 39.2%  
Turkey TR 59.6 46.2 41.3% 41.0% 36.9% 40.3% 34.9% 35.9% 33.9% 27.2% 23.2% 20.5% 25.7% 25.0% 30.0% 31.0% 25.0% 28.7% 17.2% 20.4%
United Arab Emirates AE 62.9 39 26.1% 22.9% 27.1% 27.5% 26.3% 22.7% 24.2%                      
United Kingdom GB 45 62.6 36.3% 33.5% 32.5% 32.3% 33.5% 29.3% 25.6% 22.5% 18.7% 21.0% 22.2% 20.0% 19.0% 20.2% 23.1% 20.7% 19.3% 17.6%
United States US 12 55 34.0% 34.8% 30.8% 33.3% 32.3% 28.3% 31.1% 21.2% 22.7% 23.2% 21.1% 22.0% 20.3% 16.9% 15.0% 20.3% 23.3% 19.8%
Vietnam VN 84.8 44 37.4% 33.4% 33.5% 33.3% 38.9% 32.9% 36.9%                      
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i. Small businesses are key to a more sustainable and inclusive world. Here's why [www.weforum.org]