GITNUXREPORT 2025

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In The Pharma Industry Statistics

Most pharma firms prioritize DEI but face implementation and participation challenges.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

80% of pharma companies consider DEI a strategic priority, but only 45% have dedicated budgets

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22% of clinical trial sites are located in underserved communities

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35% of clinical trial participants are from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, increased by 10% over the last five years

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34% of clinical trial designs exclude or underrepresent minority groups, impacting generalizability

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25% of pharma companies have partnered with community organizations to improve clinical trial diversity

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41% of clinical trial sites are located in urban areas, limiting access for rural/minority populations

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30% of clinical trial recruitment efforts focus on outreach to underserved populations, up from 15% five years ago

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39% of clinical trial participants report discomfort due to cultural barriers or misunderstandings

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78% of pharma companies have dedicated DEI initiatives

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65% of pharma employees believe their company is making progress on DEI efforts

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33% of pharma executives believe diversity impacts innovation

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70% of pharma employees want their companies to improve diversity and inclusion efforts

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40% of pharma companies have diversity goals included in their executive compensation plans

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55% of pharma employees believe their workplace supports diversity, but only 35% believe leadership genuinely prioritizes it

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48% of women in pharma report experiencing gender bias in advancement opportunities

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42% of minority employees in pharma feel they have equal growth opportunities

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63% of pharma HR managers see diversity gaps as a barrier to innovation

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Only 16% of senior leaders in pharma include diversity metrics in their strategic planning

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66% of pharma companies have diversity and inclusion committees

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49% of pharma professionals believe that promoting diversity improves patient outcomes

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27% of employees in pharma believe their workplace actively promotes racial and ethnic diversity

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75% of concerns about clinical trial diversity relate to mistrust among minority communities

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50% of pharma HR managers see diversity as a way to attract top talent

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45% of pharma employees have been involved in DEI committees or initiatives

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61% of patients from diverse backgrounds report a preference for providers who understand their cultural context

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63% of minority employees in pharma believe that workplace mentorship can improve DEI outcomes

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77% of pharma HR leaders say that addressing DEI helps reduce staff turnover

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52% of pharma companies plan to increase their diversity hiring initiatives in the next year

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68% of pharma employees who belong to minority groups feel comfortable advocating for DEI improvements

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72% of pharma companies plan to implement new DEI metrics in their strategic planning in 2024

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Only 18% of marketing campaigns in pharma are tailored to diverse populations

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28% of pharma marketing materials highlight diversity and inclusion

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Only 14% of pharmaceutical products explicitly address cultural differences in their labeling

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Only 9% of pharma marketing campaigns have been analyzed for cultural competence

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42% of pharma organizations recognize that inclusive product development enhances market success

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52% of pharma companies have implemented unconscious bias training

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58% of pharma companies have DEI training programs targeting leadership

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40% of employees in pharma report that DEI efforts are often superficial and not impactful

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62% of pharma companies without dedicated DEI officers report challenges in implementing inclusive practices

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47% of pharma companies believe DEI efforts have led to better innovation, though only 30% have measurable outcomes

Statistic 41

80% of pharma companies see diversity training as essential for innovation

Statistic 42

61% of pharma CEOs acknowledge that their diversity initiatives require further development

Statistic 43

49% of healthcare providers from minority backgrounds report a lack of cultural competency training in pharma educational programs

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Only 45% of clinical trial participants are from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups

Statistic 45

Only 27% of clinical research coordinators are from minority backgrounds

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A mere 20% of pharma R&D budgets are allocated to projects led by diverse teams

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60% of patients from minority populations report dissatisfaction with their engagement in clinical trials

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25% of women in pharma report facing workplace harassment

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Only 12% of executives in pharma hold chief diversity officer positions

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Healthcare providers from underrepresented backgrounds account for less than 15% of the workforce in pharmaceutical sales

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54% of minority clinical trial participants report feeling they have been treated with respect, compared to 75% of white participants

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54% of working women in pharma feel they face glass ceiling effects

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44% of pharma organizations have set DEI target metrics for their research departments

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55% of pharma companies report difficulty in retaining diverse talent, citing lack of advancement opportunities

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Only 20% of pharma leadership roles are held by women from diverse backgrounds

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Key Highlights

78% of pharma companies have dedicated DEI initiatives
Only 45% of clinical trial participants are from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups
65% of pharma employees believe their company is making progress on DEI efforts
Only 27% of clinical research coordinators are from minority backgrounds
33% of pharma executives believe diversity impacts innovation
52% of pharma companies have implemented unconscious bias training
A mere 20% of pharma R&D budgets are allocated to projects led by diverse teams
70% of pharma employees want their companies to improve diversity and inclusion efforts
60% of patients from minority populations report dissatisfaction with their engagement in clinical trials
40% of pharma companies have diversity goals included in their executive compensation plans
55% of pharma employees believe their workplace supports diversity, but only 35% believe leadership genuinely prioritizes it
48% of women in pharma report experiencing gender bias in advancement opportunities
22% of clinical trial sites are located in underserved communities

Despite widespread recognition of diversity and inclusion as vital to innovation and patient outcomes—with 80% of pharma companies prioritizing DEI efforts—gaps remain glaring, from underrepresentation in clinical trials and leadership roles to superficial initiatives and limited funding, highlighting the urgent need for genuine commitment and actionable change in the industry.

Attitudes

80% of pharma companies consider DEI a strategic priority, but only 45% have dedicated budgets

Attitudes Interpretation

While 80% of pharma companies acknowledge DEI as a strategic priority, the fact that only 45% allocate dedicated budgets suggests they may be treating diversity as a vision rather than an investment.

Clinical Trial Diversity and Accessibility

22% of clinical trial sites are located in underserved communities
35% of clinical trial participants are from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, increased by 10% over the last five years
34% of clinical trial designs exclude or underrepresent minority groups, impacting generalizability
25% of pharma companies have partnered with community organizations to improve clinical trial diversity
41% of clinical trial sites are located in urban areas, limiting access for rural/minority populations
30% of clinical trial recruitment efforts focus on outreach to underserved populations, up from 15% five years ago
39% of clinical trial participants report discomfort due to cultural barriers or misunderstandings

Clinical Trial Diversity and Accessibility Interpretation

While strides are being made—such as the 10% increase in diverse participants and more pharma companies partnering with communities—much of the clinical trial landscape still predominantly resides in urban areas, and significant underrepresentation and cultural barriers persist, highlighting that inclusion in the pharma industry remains a work in progress requiring a more equitable geographical and cultural reach.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives and Attitudes

78% of pharma companies have dedicated DEI initiatives
65% of pharma employees believe their company is making progress on DEI efforts
33% of pharma executives believe diversity impacts innovation
70% of pharma employees want their companies to improve diversity and inclusion efforts
40% of pharma companies have diversity goals included in their executive compensation plans
55% of pharma employees believe their workplace supports diversity, but only 35% believe leadership genuinely prioritizes it
48% of women in pharma report experiencing gender bias in advancement opportunities
42% of minority employees in pharma feel they have equal growth opportunities
63% of pharma HR managers see diversity gaps as a barrier to innovation
Only 16% of senior leaders in pharma include diversity metrics in their strategic planning
66% of pharma companies have diversity and inclusion committees
49% of pharma professionals believe that promoting diversity improves patient outcomes
27% of employees in pharma believe their workplace actively promotes racial and ethnic diversity
75% of concerns about clinical trial diversity relate to mistrust among minority communities
50% of pharma HR managers see diversity as a way to attract top talent
45% of pharma employees have been involved in DEI committees or initiatives
61% of patients from diverse backgrounds report a preference for providers who understand their cultural context
63% of minority employees in pharma believe that workplace mentorship can improve DEI outcomes
77% of pharma HR leaders say that addressing DEI helps reduce staff turnover
52% of pharma companies plan to increase their diversity hiring initiatives in the next year
68% of pharma employees who belong to minority groups feel comfortable advocating for DEI improvements
72% of pharma companies plan to implement new DEI metrics in their strategic planning in 2024

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives and Attitudes Interpretation

While over 78% of pharma companies have dedicated DEI initiatives and nearly 70% of employees see progress, the fact that only 16% of leaders embed diversity metrics into strategic plans underscores that, in the industry’s quest for innovative cures, true inclusivity in corporate culture still has a long way to go—proof that the real medicine for pharma’s diversity deficit is a dose of genuine leadership commitment, not just committees and statistics.

Marketing, Product Development, and External Perception

Only 18% of marketing campaigns in pharma are tailored to diverse populations
28% of pharma marketing materials highlight diversity and inclusion
Only 14% of pharmaceutical products explicitly address cultural differences in their labeling
Only 9% of pharma marketing campaigns have been analyzed for cultural competence
42% of pharma organizations recognize that inclusive product development enhances market success

Marketing, Product Development, and External Perception Interpretation

Despite nearly half of pharma organizations acknowledging that inclusive product development boosts market success, a strikingly small fraction—only 14%—of their products explicitly address cultural differences, revealing that the industry’s commitment to genuine diversity and inclusion still has significant room for improvement.

Organizational Policies, Goals, and Training

52% of pharma companies have implemented unconscious bias training
58% of pharma companies have DEI training programs targeting leadership
40% of employees in pharma report that DEI efforts are often superficial and not impactful
62% of pharma companies without dedicated DEI officers report challenges in implementing inclusive practices
47% of pharma companies believe DEI efforts have led to better innovation, though only 30% have measurable outcomes
80% of pharma companies see diversity training as essential for innovation
61% of pharma CEOs acknowledge that their diversity initiatives require further development
49% of healthcare providers from minority backgrounds report a lack of cultural competency training in pharma educational programs

Organizational Policies, Goals, and Training Interpretation

While over half of pharma companies have embraced unconscious bias and leadership-focused DEI training, the widespread perception that these efforts are superficial and the lack of dedicated DEI officers suggest that the industry’s true challenge lies in transforming diversity initiatives from checkboxes into meaningful, measurable innovation—especially as healthcare providers from minority backgrounds still report gaps in cultural competency.

Representation and Workforce Demographics

Only 45% of clinical trial participants are from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups
Only 27% of clinical research coordinators are from minority backgrounds
A mere 20% of pharma R&D budgets are allocated to projects led by diverse teams
60% of patients from minority populations report dissatisfaction with their engagement in clinical trials
25% of women in pharma report facing workplace harassment
Only 12% of executives in pharma hold chief diversity officer positions
Healthcare providers from underrepresented backgrounds account for less than 15% of the workforce in pharmaceutical sales
54% of minority clinical trial participants report feeling they have been treated with respect, compared to 75% of white participants
54% of working women in pharma feel they face glass ceiling effects
44% of pharma organizations have set DEI target metrics for their research departments
55% of pharma companies report difficulty in retaining diverse talent, citing lack of advancement opportunities
Only 20% of pharma leadership roles are held by women from diverse backgrounds

Representation and Workforce Demographics Interpretation

Despite ongoing commitments, the pharma industry’s statistics reveal that diversity, equity, and inclusion remain critical blind spots, with underrepresentation persisting across clinical trials, leadership, and workplace culture—highlighting that measurable progress is still a prescription waiting to be filled.