Pakistan third-last in WEF Gender Gap Report 2026, parity at 59.5%
Synopsis
Pakistan sits third-to-last on the WEF's 2026 Global Gender Gap Index at just 59.5% parity — the weakest score among all 38 lower-middle-income economies and every South Asian nation assessed. Despite recording its best year-on-year improvement in a decade, Pakistan's labour, wage, and literacy gaps reveal how structural the problem remains.
Key Takeaways
Pakistan ranked third-to-last globally in the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2026 with a parity score of 59.5% .
It is the lowest-ranked country among 38 lower-middle-income economies and all 7 South Asian nations in the index.
Gender parity improved by 3 percentage points year-on-year and by 5.2% since 2006 — the strongest annual gain in a decade.
Only 28.21% of women participate in the labour force, versus 81.46% of men — a gap exceeding 53 percentage points .
Female literacy stands at 48.52% against a male literacy rate of 69.14% .
Women hold just 6.13% of senior official and managerial positions; Pakistan ranked 140th for estimated earned income.
Pakistan ranked third-to-last globally in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2026, recording an overall gender parity score of 59.5% — the lowest among all 38 lower-middle-income economies and all seven South Asian nations assessed in the index. The findings, published on 19 September 2026, underscore the country's persistent structural inequalities despite incremental year-on-year progress.
Modest Gains Against a Bleak Baseline
Pakistan's gender parity improved by 3 percentage points year-on-year, and by 5.2% since 2006. According to the report, the 2026 edition marks Pakistan's strongest annual improvement in a decade, driven primarily by gains in educational attainment. Yet the country's ranking reflects how far it lags behind even its regional neighbours on most sub-indices.
Specifically, Pakistan ranked 130th on education, 144th on economic participation and opportunity, 127th on health and survival, and 107th on political empowerment. These figures paint a picture where even headline progress masks deep sub-index weaknesses.
Labour Force and Workplace Gaps
The economic chasm between men and women in Pakistan remains stark. The report reveals that 81.46% of men participate in the labour force, compared with just 28.21% of women — a gap of over 53 percentage points. Women hold only 6.13% of positions among legislators, senior officials, and managers, while accounting for 30.96% of professional and technical workers.
Pakistan ranked 115th for wage equality for similar work and 140th for estimated earned income. Nearly 4.9% of firms had majority female ownership, and only 3.4% had female top managers. Pakistan's economic participation ranking did, however, advance three places from its 147th position in 2025.
Education: A Bright Spot Shadowed by Literacy Gaps
Educational attainment was cited as the primary driver of this year's improvement, though critical disparities persist. The male literacy rate stood at 69.14% against a female literacy rate of just 48.52% — a gap of more than 20 percentage points. In primary education, boys' enrolment reached 83.01% compared with 81.08% for girls — a relatively narrower gap. In secondary education, however, male enrolment was 49.99% versus 46.48% for females.
Regional and Global Context
Pakistan's standing as the lowest-ranked South Asian country underscores a regional pattern where India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka — despite their own gender challenges — significantly outperform Pakistan on the WEF index. Globally, Pakistan sits among the bottom three nations, a position it has occupied for several consecutive editions. This comes amid broader international scrutiny of South Asia's slow progress on women's economic inclusion. Notably, the report's findings arrive as Pakistan's government faces mounting pressure from civil society organisations advocating legislative reforms on women's labour rights and safety.
What Comes Next
Analysts and gender rights advocates argue that Pakistan's marginal annual gains, while acknowledged, are insufficient to close the gap at the current pace. Without structural interventions — including labour law enforcement, girls' secondary education investment, and targeted credit access for women entrepreneurs — Pakistan risks remaining at the bottom of the global index for the foreseeable future.
Point of View
Yet still leaving it third-to-last globally — is precisely the kind of statistical trap that obscures policy failure. A 3-percentage-point annual gain at this pace would take generations to reach parity, and the labour-force participation chasm of over 53 points is not a cultural footnote but an economic haemorrhage. What the report does not say loudly enough is that Pakistan's position at the bottom of the South Asian rankings is a competitive liability: women's economic exclusion suppresses growth potential in an economy that can ill afford it. The educational gains cited as progress are commendable, but secondary enrolment gaps and a 20-point literacy deficit signal that the pipeline is still leaking long before it reaches the workforce.
NationPress
19 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Pakistan rank in the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2026?
Pakistan ranked third-to-last globally in the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2026, with an overall gender parity score of 59.5%. It was the lowest-ranked country among all 38 lower-middle-income economies and all seven South Asian nations in the report.
What is Pakistan's gender parity score in 2026 and how has it changed?
Pakistan's overall gender parity score stands at 59.5% in 2026, an improvement of 3 percentage points year-on-year and 5.2% since 2006. The 2026 edition marks the country's strongest annual improvement in a decade, primarily driven by educational attainment gains.
How large is the gender gap in Pakistan's labour force?
Men's labour force participation in Pakistan stands at 81.46%, compared with just 28.21% for women — a gap of more than 53 percentage points. Women also hold only 6.13% of positions among legislators, senior officials, and managers.
How does Pakistan compare with other South Asian countries on the gender gap index?
Pakistan ranks lowest among all seven South Asian countries included in the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2026. Neighbours such as India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka score significantly higher across sub-indices including economic participation, education, and political empowerment.
What are Pakistan's sub-index rankings in the 2026 gender gap report?
Pakistan ranked 130th on education, 144th on economic participation and opportunity, 127th on health and survival, and 107th on political empowerment in the 2026 WEF report. Its economic participation ranking improved three places from 147th in 2025.
