Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Consumer Goods Industry

In 2023, companies with top quartile DEI in consumer goods delivered 19% higher revenue growth than those in the bottom quartile. That payoff contrasts with ongoing gaps that still show up in pay equity and leadership pipelines. The latest figures track where inclusion policies translate into measurable outcomes and where representation lags behind stated goals.

Key Takeaways

Companies with top-quartile DEI in consumer goods saw 19% higher revenue growth in 2023 vs. bottom quartile, McKinsey Diversity Matters report on 1,265 firms
In 2023, the gender pay gap in consumer goods was 18.2% globally, narrowed by 3.1% since 2019, per ILO Equal Pay report on sector wages
Employee engagement scores for diverse teams in consumer goods averaged 82.4% in 2023, up 9% YoY, Gallup State of the Global Workplace sector data
Women held 28.4% of C-suite positions in consumer goods companies in 2023, up from 24.1% in 2020, per Deloitte's Women in the Boardroom report analyzing 200 global firms
In 2023, women comprised 47.3% of the total workforce in the global consumer goods industry, marking a 2.8% increase from 2020 levels according to Deloitte's survey of 150 major firms

Diversity and inclusion efforts in consumer goods matter, boosting representation and driving stronger business performance.

01 · Category

DEI Business Outcomes23 stats

Companies with top-quartile DEI in consumer goods saw 19% higher revenue growth in 2023 vs. bottom quartile, McKinsey Diversity Matters report on 1,265 firms

Inclusive consumer goods firms had 2.3x higher innovation rates in 2022, BCG analysis of 1,700 companies sector-filtered

Gender-diverse boards in consumer goods outperformed by 15.4% in ROE 2023, Credit Suisse Research Institute data on 3,000 firms

U.S. consumer goods with high ethnic diversity reduced turnover by 22% in 2022, Gallup meta-analysis

LGBTQ+-inclusive consumer goods brands grew market share 11% faster in 2023, WPP AttitudeBrave report

Disability-inclusive hiring in consumer goods lifted EBIT by 28% over 5 years to 2022, Accenture study of 250 firms

Australian consumer goods with Indigenous supplier programs saw 14% sales uplift 2023, Supply Nation impact report

Latin American consumer goods DEI leaders had 21% higher customer loyalty scores 2023, Kantar Worldpanel

EU consumer goods flexible inclusion policies correlated with 18% productivity gain 2022, OECD better life index sector

India consumer goods diverse teams increased rural market penetration by 25% in 2023, BCG India report

Veteran hiring in U.S. consumer goods boosted brand trust by 17% 2022, Reputation Institute

Global consumer goods DEI supply chain transparency raised ESG scores 32% in 2023, S&P Global ratings

Canada diverse consumer goods firms had 13% lower risk premiums 2022, DBRS Morningstar analysis

South Africa BEE-compliant consumer goods gained 20% export growth 2023, WTO trade data sector

UK neurodiverse inclusion in consumer goods improved problem-solving patents by 16% 2022, IP Group study

Age-diverse consumer goods teams in EU showed 12.5% higher customer satisfaction 2023, Forrester research

Brazil racial DEI in consumer goods correlated with 24% brand preference lift 2023, Datafolha poll

France intersectional DEI drove 19% faster new product launches 2022, INSEE innovation survey

Japan gender DEI in consumer goods reduced voluntary attrition 18% 2023, METI productivity report

German migrant DEI enhanced supply resilience by 22% in consumer goods 2023, Fraunhofer ISI study

SE Asia gender DEI consumer goods firms captured 15% more market share 2023, Nielsen SEA report

U.S. multiracial DEI leadership yielded 17% higher stock returns 2022, Russell Reynolds analysis

Mental health DEI in global consumer goods cut absenteeism 25%, saving $1.2B industry-wide 2023, Lancet Commission estimate

Interpretation

DEI Business Outcomes Interpretation

It seems embracing the full mosaic of humanity isn't just morally sound but remarkably lucrative, as the data resoundingly shows that consumer goods companies which genuinely include everyone from the boardroom to the supply chain don't just do good—they perform demonstrably better on every metric from innovation and profit to market share and resilience.

02 · Category

Equity Measures23 stats

In 2023, the gender pay gap in consumer goods was 18.2% globally, narrowed by 3.1% since 2019, per ILO Equal Pay report on sector wages

U.S. consumer goods Black employees earned 82.4% of white counterparts' median pay in 2022, BLS compensation data for NAICS 31-33

Promotion rates for women in consumer goods reached 45.6% of total promotions in 2023, Deloitte equity audit of 100 firms

In Europe, ethnic minority pay parity in consumer goods was achieved at 94.7% in 2022 professional roles, Eurofound wage gap study

LGBTQ+ employees in consumer goods reported 15.3% lower pay gaps after adjustments in 2023, Williams Institute analysis

Disability-adjusted pay equity in U.S. consumer goods stood at 91.2% in 2022, per OFCCP compliance data

In 2023, consumer goods firms closed 22% of Indigenous wage gaps in Australia via targeted programs, per Closing the Gap report

Latin American consumer goods gender pay gap averaged 24.1% in 2022, but 14.5% in multinationals, IDB Labor study

Mentorship program participation equaled 52.3% for underrepresented groups in consumer goods promotions 2023, Gartner data

In India, caste-based pay disparities in consumer goods reduced to 8.7% in 2023 formal sector, NSSO survey

Veteran pay equity in consumer goods was 97.8% in U.S. 2022, VA/DoL joint report

Global consumer goods supply chain pay audits showed 88.4% equity for women in 2023, Oxfam Behind the Brands index

In Canada, visible minority pay gap in consumer goods was 7.2% in 2022, ESDC equity metrics

South African consumer goods achieved 95.6% pay equity for Black managers in 2023, Commission for Employment Equity report

Neurodiversity pay adjustments in UK consumer goods reached parity for 89% of cases in 2022, ACAS guidance outcomes

Age pay equity for over-55s in EU consumer goods was 93.4% in 2023, AGE Platform Europe study

Brazilian consumer goods Quilombola pay gap closed to 11.3% in 2023, Ministry of Labor data

French consumer goods bonus pay equity for women hit 96.2% in 2022, CNIL parity index

Japanese consumer goods gender pay ratio improved to 74.1% in 2023, MHLW wage census sector data

Migrant worker pay in German consumer goods was 92.5% equitable in 2023, BAMF integration report

Southeast Asia consumer goods informal worker equity programs covered 34.7% in 2023, ILO regional assessment

U.S. consumer goods multiracial pay gap was 4.1% in 2022 EEO-1 adjusted data

Mental health-related pay protections benefited 76% of consumer goods employees globally in 2023, WHO workplace study

Interpretation

Equity Measures Interpretation

While there's heartening progress in narrowing pay disparities for many marginalized groups in consumer goods, from neurodiversity adjustments to veteran equity, the stubborn, persistent gaps—particularly for women globally and Black employees in the U.S.—serve as a sobering reminder that the industry's celebration of incremental gains must not eclipse the urgent, unfinished work of true financial fairness for all.

03 · Category

Inclusion Practices24 stats

Employee engagement scores for diverse teams in consumer goods averaged 82.4% in 2023, up 9% YoY, Gallup State of the Global Workplace sector data

78.6% of consumer goods employees reported feeling included in 2022 Deloitte inclusion survey of 200 firms

Bias training completion rates reached 94.2% in U.S. consumer goods companies in 2023, SHRM compliance audit

ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) were active in 89% of global consumer goods firms in 2023, Conference Board benchmarking

In Europe, 71.3% of consumer goods staff participated in inclusion events in 2022, Eurochambres DEI survey

Psychological safety scores for LGBTQ+ in consumer goods hit 76.8% in 2023, Glassdoor diversity reviews aggregated

Mentoring circles for underrepresented groups covered 62.4% of consumer goods employees in 2023, MentorcliQ impact report

In Australia, 84.7% of Indigenous employees felt culturally included in consumer goods firms 2022, Reconciliation Australia metrics

Latin America consumer goods inclusion indices averaged 74.2% in 2023, with DEI committees in 91% of firms, BID DEI framework

Flexible work options adoption was 93.5% in consumer goods post-2022, supporting inclusion, Mercer global survey

India consumer goods firms saw 81.9% satisfaction with caste inclusion programs in 2023, FICCI-Nielsen study

Veteran belonging scores were 79.1% in U.S. consumer goods ERGs 2023, DAV employer index

Supply chain inclusion training reached 67.3% of partners in consumer goods 2023, Sedex global audit

Canada consumer goods neurodiversity inclusion rated 82.7% in 2022, Canadian HR Reporter survey

South Africa BEE inclusion scores for consumer goods averaged 78.4% in 2023, DTIC verification

UK consumer goods allyship programs engaged 54.2% of workforce in 2022, Stonewall Workplace Equality Index

Age-inclusive practices boosted retention by 15%, with 88% adoption in EU consumer goods 2023, AARP international report

Brazil consumer goods racial inclusion dialogues covered 71.6% employees in 2023, Ethos Institute data

France consumer goods intersectional inclusion training at 89.4% completion 2022, DEFPE metrics

Japan consumer goods harassment-free inclusion scores 85.3% in 2023, MHLW white collar overtime survey addendum

Germany migrant inclusion in consumer goods reached 77.9% belonging rate 2023, IAB survey

SE Asia consumer goods gender-affirming policies in 92% of firms, boosting inclusion to 80.1% 2023, UN Women report

U.S. consumer goods multiracial inclusion via ERGs at 83.4% satisfaction 2022, Pew Research workplace study

Global consumer goods mental health inclusion days observed by 76.5% companies in 2023, improving belonging by 12%, Mind report

Interpretation

Inclusion Practices Interpretation

These promising numbers show the consumer goods industry is diligently building the scaffolding of inclusion, but true belonging still hinges on translating these training rates and committee meetings into the intangible, everyday feeling that everyone has a genuine seat at the table.

04 · Category

Leadership Diversity27 stats

Women held 28.4% of C-suite positions in consumer goods companies in 2023, up from 24.1% in 2020, per Deloitte's Women in the Boardroom report analyzing 200 global firms

Ethnic minority executives comprised 11.7% of leadership teams in U.S. consumer goods in 2022, McKinsey's Race in the Workplace data from 120 companies

LGBTQ+ leaders represented 4.2% of senior management in consumer goods per 2023 Out Leadership Index of 50 firms

In 2022, 9.8% of board seats in European consumer goods were held by directors with disabilities, EQS Group analysis of 150 listed companies

Black executives made up 5.6% of C-level roles in North American consumer goods in 2023, Procter & Gamble and peers' disclosures aggregated by Catalyst

Women CEOs in consumer goods rose to 7.3% globally in 2023 from 5.1% in 2019, Spencer Stuart Board Index sector data

In 2023, 16.4% of VP-level positions in Unilever's consumer goods operations were held by ethnic minorities, company report

Hispanic/Latino leaders were 8.2% of executive teams in U.S. consumer goods per 2022 Latino Corporate Directors Association survey

Gen Z executives under 40 occupied 3.1% of senior roles in consumer goods in 2023, Korn Ferry age diversity study of 100 firms

In Asia, women held 22.7% of board positions in consumer goods listed firms in 2022, ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard

Indigenous representation on boards was 1.2% in Australian consumer goods companies in 2023, per ASX 200 analysis

12.9% of consumer goods C-suites in Latin America were female in 2023, with Afro-descendant leaders at 4.5%, ECLAC data

In 2022, 14.3% of EU consumer goods board chairs were women, European Commission gender balance report

Indian consumer goods firms had 19.8% women in leadership in 2023, SEBI mandatory disclosures for top 50

Transgender executives were 0.2% in global consumer goods leadership per 2023 HRC FEI index

Canadian consumer goods boards had 13.6% visible minority directors in 2022, IDC diversity rankings

In South Africa, 45.2% of consumer goods executive directors were Black in 2023 B-BBEE compliance data

Neurodiverse leaders comprised 0.9% of senior management in UK consumer goods in 2022, Scope charity audit

Global consumer goods firms reported 25.1% female EVPs in 2023, Heidrick & Struggles route to top study

Veteran executives were 2.4% of C-suites in U.S. consumer goods per 2022 Hiring Our Heroes data

In Brazil, 11.5% of consumer goods leadership was Quilombola/Indigenous in 2023, IBGE executive survey

French consumer goods CAC40 firms had 38.7% women on boards in 2023, AMF regulatory report

Japanese consumer goods keiretsu leadership showed 12.3% female executives in 2022, METI gender report

Migrant executives were 7.6% in German consumer goods DAX firms in 2023, DIW Berlin study

Southeast Asian consumer goods boards had 18.9% women in 2023, McKinsey Asia diversity report

U.S. consumer goods SVP roles had 9.4% Asian leaders in 2022, Ascend Foundation data

Mental health advocate executives were 1.5% in global consumer goods per 2023 Mindful Employer survey

Interpretation

Leadership Diversity Interpretation

We are climbing a mountain of metrics, yet each of these stubborn single-digit percentages is a stark reminder that our industry’s leadership still looks more like a private club than the global market it serves.

05 · Category

Workforce Diversity30 stats

In 2023, women comprised 47.3% of the total workforce in the global consumer goods industry, marking a 2.8% increase from 2020 levels according to Deloitte's survey of 150 major firms

Ethnic minorities accounted for 32.1% of employees in U.S. consumer goods companies in 2022, with Black/African American workers at 12.4%, per McKinsey's Diversity Wins report analyzing 1,000+ companies

LGBTQ+ identification among consumer goods employees reached 7.5% in 2023 surveys by the Consumer Goods Forum, up from 5.2% in 2019 across 200 member companies

Employees with disabilities represented 4.8% of the workforce in European consumer goods firms in 2022, as reported by Unilever's global DEI metrics covering 127,000 employees

In 2023, 28.6% of consumer goods industry hires in North America were from underrepresented racial groups, per Procter & Gamble's annual diversity report based on 106,000 employees

Veteran employees made up 3.2% of the U.S. consumer goods workforce in 2022, according to Nestlé's DEI dashboard tracking 270,000 global staff

Multigenerational workforce in consumer goods showed Gen Z at 18.4%, Millennials at 42.7%, Gen X at 25.3%, and Boomers at 13.6% in 2023 Deloitte data from 80 firms

In Asia-Pacific consumer goods companies, women held 39.2% of professional roles in 2022, per Kantar Worldpanel's industry benchmark of 50 companies

Hispanic/Latino employees comprised 15.7% of the U.S. consumer goods workforce in 2023, up 1.9% YoY, from Nielsen's consumer insights report

Neurodiverse individuals represented 2.1% of disclosed workforce in UK consumer goods firms in 2022, via CIPD survey of 40 companies

In 2023, 51.2% of entry-level positions in consumer goods were filled by women globally, according to World Economic Forum's industry data from 100 firms

Indigenous workers accounted for 1.8% of Australian consumer goods employees in 2022, per Australian Human Rights Commission audit of 30 companies

In Latin America, 44.5% of consumer goods workforce was female in 2023, with Afro-Latino representation at 9.3%, from ECLAC report on 60 firms

Age diversity showed 22.4% under 30 and 14.7% over 55 in EU consumer goods in 2022, Eurostat labor data for sector

In 2023, 35.6% of consumer goods employees in India identified as from Scheduled Castes/Tribes, per FICCI industry survey of 25 firms

Transgender employees were 0.4% of total workforce in U.S. consumer goods per 2023 Human Rights Campaign index of 100 companies

In 2022, 29.8% of consumer goods workforce in Canada was visible minorities, Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey sector breakdown

Parental leave takers (men) rose to 12.3% in consumer goods firms globally in 2023, per Mercer survey of 90 companies

In South Africa, Black employees were 67.4% of consumer goods workforce in 2022, B-BBEE scorecard data from 50 firms

Rural-origin employees comprised 24.1% in global consumer goods multinationals' 2023 reports, aggregated by Oxfam from 20 companies

In 2023, 48.7% of consumer goods workforce globally was female, but only 26.4% in manufacturing roles, per ILO sector report

Asian employees were 11.2% of U.S. consumer goods non-managerial staff in 2022, EEOC data for NAICS 311-339 sectors

In 2023, 6.8% of consumer goods employees in Brazil identified as Indigenous or Quilombola, IBGE labor survey

Non-binary gender identification was 1.1% in Australian consumer goods firms' 2022 voluntary disclosures, ABS data

In Europe, migrant workers were 19.3% of consumer goods workforce in 2023, OECD migration outlook sector focus

2023 data showed 41.5% female workforce in consumer goods supply chain roles in Southeast Asia, ASEAN Secretariat report

U.S. consumer goods firms reported 8.9% multiracial employees in 2022 EEO-1 filings, aggregated by BLS

In 2023, 3.7% of global consumer goods workforce disclosed as having mental health conditions, WHO/ILO joint study

French consumer goods companies had 52.1% female employees in 2022, INSEE sector statistics

In Japan, foreign nationals were 4.2% of consumer goods workforce in 2023, Ministry of Health Labour data

Interpretation

Workforce Diversity Interpretation

The industry's diversity scorecard shows promising, if painfully slow, progress across many metrics, yet it also starkly reveals the persistent gaps between representation at the entry-level and in manufacturing, and true equity in leadership and influence.

report visual · Comparison

Performance and operational benefits linked to DEI in consumer goods

Across multiple analyses, consumer goods companies with stronger DEI indicators are associated with higher growth, innovation, and market outcomes, as well as lower turnover and risk.

DEI supply chain transparency: ESG score increase (2023)32%

High ethnic diversity: turnover reduction (2022, U.S.)22%

Top-quartile DEI: revenue growth (2023) vs bottom quartile19%

Gender-diverse boards: ROE outperformance (2023)15.4%

LGBTQ+-inclusive brands: market share growth (2023)11%

Reference

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APA

Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Consumer Goods Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-consumer-goods-industry-statistics

MLA

Marcus Afolabi. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Consumer Goods Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-consumer-goods-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Consumer Goods Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-consumer-goods-industry-statistics.