Switzerland plummets 10 spots in 2026 global gender parity ranking

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released a new report highlighting that global progress towards gender equality has stalled, leaving full parity an estimated 120 years away. Switzerland has plummeted 10 places in the global ranking.

Global gender parity remains 120 years away

Global progress towards closing the gender gap has virtually stalled, according to the 20th edition of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2026. Across the 145 economies surveyed, the global gender gap stands at 69,2 percent closed, representing a slight improvement of just 0,4 percentage points compared to last year.

At this rate of advancement, achieving complete equality between men and women worldwide will take another 120 years.

Europe has reclaimed its status as the leading region globally, having closed 75,7 percent of its overall gender gap. Iceland remains at the top of the global ranking for the 17th consecutive year, standing as the only nation to have closed more than 90 percent of its gap, at 93,0 percent.

Despite regional gains, systemic bottlenecks persist in career progression. Data compiled in partnership with LinkedIn reveals a sharp "drop to the top" in corporate leadership: while women account for 46,0 percent of entry-level roles worldwide, their representation drops by half to 23,0 percent at C-suite level.

Switzerland falls 10 spots to 27th place in global ranking

Switzerland has fallen 10 places to rank 27th out of 145 countries in this year's index, achieving an overall parity score of 77 percent. Last year, the country fared much better ranking 17th with a score of 78 percent.

Compared to its European neighbours, Germany secured 9th place with 81,7 percent parity and the United Kingdom reached 5th place with 84,2 percent. The Netherlands, on the other hand, fell to 46th place, while France and Italy took 22nd and 83rd place respectively. 

Image credit: Global Gender Gap Report 2026

Switzerland saw some improvement when it came to educational attainment, rising slightly from 69th place to 64th, and economic participation, up from 58th place to 54th.

Yet the country saw a significant drop in political empowerment, falling from 16th place in 2025 to 23rd in 2026, due to low numbers of women in parliament and ministerial positions and when comparing the number of years with a female or male head of state. 

This article originally appeared on IamExpat the Netherlands.