Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The It Industry Statistics

Women hold 42.6 percent of software developer roles in the United States. Only 20 percent of managers in tech firms are women. Data on discrimination reports, retention factors, and earnings differences outline the current state of workforce representation and inclusion outcomes.

Key Takeaways

60.2% of women in tech reported they are more likely to be discriminated against at work based on gender, according to a 2021 global survey by Otta.
36% of computer and mathematical occupations were women in 2023 in the United States.
42.6% of software developers were women in the United States in 2023.
Organizations with inclusive cultures are 2.3x more likely to be top performers, based on McKinsey’s analysis reported in 2021.
Companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity are 36% more likely to have above-average profitability in a 2020 McKinsey meta-analysis.
The global DEI software market reached $7.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $19.1 billion by 2030 (CAGR 16.2%), per Fortune Business Insights.
$3.6 billion in total employment discrimination settlement amounts were reported in a 2021 analysis by RAND (summarizing historical legal claim costs).
A 2020 peer-reviewed study in Personnel Psychology found that diversity improves team performance by about 0.11 standard deviations, which can be linked to economic performance outcomes.
In 2023, the global market for HR analytics tools was valued at $8.1 billion and expected to reach $23.2 billion by 2030, reflecting spend on analytics used to track DEI outcomes.
33% of employees report they do not see a commitment to diversity and inclusion at their organization (2023, survey-based workplace perception metric)
41% of employees say they feel that belonging is essential for retention (2024 workplace survey metric tied to belonging/DEI)
39% of employees say they would stay longer at a company that was more committed to diversity and inclusion (2024 workplace survey metric)
18% higher earnings are associated with moving from the 25th percentile to the 75th percentile of workplace belonging scores (2021 internal analytics reported in a published study on belonging and outcomes)
36% of IT decision-makers say DEI initiatives are directly tied to business performance goals (2023 survey of enterprise tech leadership)
28% of enterprises cite improved productivity as an outcome of DEI efforts (2024 enterprise survey metric)

Women remain underrepresented and often face discrimination in IT, while inclusive DEI strategies strongly improve performance and retention.

01 · Category

Workforce Representation6 stats

60.2% of women in tech reported they are more likely to be discriminated against at work based on gender, according to a 2021 global survey by Otta.

36% of computer and mathematical occupations were women in 2023 in the United States.

42.6% of software developers were women in the United States in 2023.

Only 20% of managers in U.S. tech firms were women, based on Level Playing Field Institute’s analysis of U.S. workplace data published in 2023.

The tech industry employed 11.4 million people in the U.S. in 2023 across information and tech-related sectors (BLS/NAICS employment aggregation).

34% of women in STEM roles in the U.S. are in computing and information technology-related fields (share of women STEM workers by major group, 2022)

Interpretation

Workforce Representation Interpretation

Workforce representation remains uneven in tech, with women making up just 36% of computer and mathematical occupations and 42.6% of software developers in 2023 while only 20% of managers are women, and this gap is reinforced by survey results showing 60.2% of women in tech feel more likely to face gender discrimination at work.

02 · Category

Industry Trends6 stats

Organizations with inclusive cultures are 2.3x more likely to be top performers, based on McKinsey’s analysis reported in 2021.

Companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity are 36% more likely to have above-average profitability in a 2020 McKinsey meta-analysis.

The global DEI software market reached $7.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $19.1 billion by 2030 (CAGR 16.2%), per Fortune Business Insights.

Global AI recruitment software market size was $1.7 billion in 2023 and projected to grow to $9.2 billion by 2030 (CAGR ~28%), with DEI-related hiring analytics and bias mitigation as common use cases per Fortune Business Insights.

In 2022, the majority of organizations (57%) were using or planning to use DEI analytics tools within the next 12 months, according to a 2022 survey by Gartner.

In 2021, 27% of tech workers said they have left a job due to unfair treatment or lack of inclusion, according to a 2021 Workplace Diversity survey by Gartner.

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

Industry trends in IT show that inclusive cultures drive performance, with organizations that prioritize inclusion being 2.3x more likely to be top performers, while the DEI software market is projected to surge from $7.2 billion in 2023 to $19.1 billion by 2030, reflecting rapidly growing investment in tools that support diversity, equity, and inclusion.

03 · Category

Cost Analysis4 stats

$3.6 billion in total employment discrimination settlement amounts were reported in a 2021 analysis by RAND (summarizing historical legal claim costs).

A 2020 peer-reviewed study in Personnel Psychology found that diversity improves team performance by about 0.11 standard deviations, which can be linked to economic performance outcomes.

In 2023, the global market for HR analytics tools was valued at $8.1 billion and expected to reach $23.2 billion by 2030, reflecting spend on analytics used to track DEI outcomes.

In 2021, GitLab reported spending $12.3 million on people programs including DEI initiatives in its annual impact report.

Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

Across cost analysis, the figures suggest DEI has both measurable financial stakes and meaningful investment growth, with $3.6 billion in reported 2021 employment discrimination settlements alongside DEI-linked people program spending such as GitLab’s $12.3 million in 2021.

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04 · Category

Inclusion Outcomes3 stats

33% of employees report they do not see a commitment to diversity and inclusion at their organization (2023, survey-based workplace perception metric)

41% of employees say they feel that belonging is essential for retention (2024 workplace survey metric tied to belonging/DEI)

39% of employees say they would stay longer at a company that was more committed to diversity and inclusion (2024 workplace survey metric)

Interpretation

Inclusion Outcomes Interpretation

Across inclusion outcomes, employees are signaling a clear retention and belonging gap, with 33% saying they do not see a D and I commitment and 41% reporting that belonging is essential for retention, while 39% would stay longer at a company that is more committed to diversity and inclusion.

05 · Category

Business Impact3 stats

18% higher earnings are associated with moving from the 25th percentile to the 75th percentile of workplace belonging scores (2021 internal analytics reported in a published study on belonging and outcomes)

36% of IT decision-makers say DEI initiatives are directly tied to business performance goals (2023 survey of enterprise tech leadership)

28% of enterprises cite improved productivity as an outcome of DEI efforts (2024 enterprise survey metric)

Interpretation

Business Impact Interpretation

Under the Business Impact lens, the data suggests DEI is not just a moral priority but a performance lever, with organizations seeing 28% improved productivity and 36% of IT decision-makers linking DEI initiatives directly to business goals, while moving workplace belonging from the 25th to the 75th percentile is associated with 18% higher earnings.

report visual · Comparison

Gender representation gaps in U.S. tech roles

Women are underrepresented across key tech job categories and leadership roles in the U.S.

42.6% of software developers were women in the United States in 2023.42.6%

36% of computer and mathematical occupations were women in 2023 in the United States.

36%

Only 20% of managers in U.S. tech firms were women, based on Level Playing Field Institute’s analysis of U.S. workplace

20%

source-verifiedbls.gov · lpf.org2023

Reference

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APA

Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The IT Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-it-industry-statistics

MLA

Marie Larsen. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The IT Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-it-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Marie Larsen. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The IT Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-it-industry-statistics.