Gender inequality in sports shows up across leadership, pay, participation, and visibility, affecting women and girls from local clubs to global governing bodies. It’s shaped by structural biases in decision-making, limited access to coaching and safe play, and unequal sponsorship and prize distribution. This page pulls together key indicators to show where gaps occur and how they differ by sport and country.
Key Takeaways
- Globally, women occupy only 11% of CEO positions in national sports federations, per 2023 IOC Gender Equality Review.
- FIFA: Only 7% of national associations have female presidents in 2023.
- UEFA: 13% women on executive committees of member associations 2022.
- Globally, only 0.4% of sports media coverage is dedicated to women's sports, per 2022 Global Sport Media Report.
- In the US, ESPN airs 10% women's sports content vs 90% men's during prime time 2023.
- BBC Sports coverage: Women's events get 12% airtime vs men's 88% in 2022 Olympics.
- In 2022, only 22% of girls aged 6-17 participated in organized sports vs 28% of boys in the US, per CDC data.
- Worldwide, 1 in 3 girls drop out of sports by age 14 vs 1 in 10 boys, UNESCO 2023.
- In India, female sports participation rate is 18% vs 37% for males aged 5-14, 2022 NFHS.
- In 2023, the total prize money for the FIFA Women's World Cup was $110 million, compared to $440 million for the men's tournament in 2022, highlighting a 75% pay gap.
- Female athletes in the WNBA earned an average salary of $147,000 in 2023, while NBA players averaged $9.3 million, a disparity of over 6,200%.
- Tennis players Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have earned more in prize money than many male players, but overall WTA prize money in 2022 was $182 million vs ATP's $623 million, a 70% gap.
- Globally, female athletes receive 21% of total sports sponsorship revenue despite growing participation, per 2022 Deloitte report.
- In 2023, Nike's endorsement deals for women averaged $500,000 vs $5 million for top male athletes, 90% gap.
- Under Armour sponsors 15% fewer female pro athletes than males in 2022, with deals 40% smaller on average.
Women remain vastly underrepresented in leadership, media, and pay across sports, despite growing participation.
Related reading
01 · Category
Leadership Underrepresentation24 stats
01
Globally, women occupy only 11% of CEO positions in national sports federations, per 2023 IOC Gender Equality Review.
02
FIFA: Only 7% of national associations have female presidents in 2023.
03
UEFA: 13% women on executive committees of member associations 2022.
04
NBA: 0% female team owners, 3% general managers female in 2023.
05
NFL: 2% women in head coaching roles, 0% owners female 2023.
06
Premier League clubs: 5% board seats held by women in 2023.
07
Australian sports: 10% female chairs in national bodies, AIS 2022.
08
Canadian Olympic Committee: 20% women on boards but 4% presidents 2023.
09
World Athletics: 16% female council members in 2023 election.
10
FIBA: 8% women in national federation presidencies globally 2022.
11
IPL cricket: 0% female team owners, 12% executives women 2023.
12
Tour de France organizer ASO: 9% women in senior management 2023.
13
USOPC: 40% women on board but 0% CEO history until recent interim 2023.
14
Brazilian CBF: 5% women in directive council 2022.
15
South African SARU: 11% female executive members 2023.
16
Japanese JOC: 14% women on executive board 2023.
17
Indian sports ministry: 6% female secretaries in federations 2022.
18
French CNOSF: 22% women board members but 0% president 2023.
19
German DOSB: 18% female presidents in state associations 2023.
20
NCAA Division I: 12% women's programs led by female ADs 2023.
21
WNBA teams: 25% GMs female vs NBA 2% in 2023.
22
Globally, women coaches represent 14% in national teams at Olympics 2024.
23
Tennis ITF: 9% female national association leaders 2023.
24
Swimming World Aquatics: 15% women on bureau 2023.
Interpretation
Leadership Underrepresentation Interpretation
Across major sports and governing bodies, leadership is still overwhelmingly male, with women holding just 11% of CEO roles in national sports federations in 2023 and even fewer top executive seats elsewhere such as only 7% of FIFA national associations led by female presidents.
02 · Category
Media Coverage Disparity18 stats
01
Globally, only 0.4% of sports media coverage is dedicated to women's sports, per 2022 Global Sport Media Report.
02
In the US, ESPN airs 10% women's sports content vs 90% men's during prime time 2023.
03
BBC Sports coverage: Women's events get 12% airtime vs men's 88% in 2022 Olympics.
04
Newspapers like NY Times devote 5% of sports pages to women in 2023 annual review.
05
Social media: Women's soccer hashtags trend 20% less than men's during World Cups 2023.
06
Fox Sports US: Only 4% of live broadcasts are women's pro leagues in 2023 season.
07
Australian media: Women's AFLW gets 8% coverage vs men's 92% per 2022 study.
08
Google searches for women's tennis peak at 15% of men's during Grand Slams 2023.
09
YouTube views: Women's UFC fights average 1 million vs men's 10 million in 2023 PPV.
10
French TV: Canal+ airs 6% women's rugby vs 94% men's in 2023 Six Nations.
11
Indian media: Women's IPL cricket gets 3% TV ratings vs men's 97% in 2023.
12
Streaming: DAZN women's boxing streams 25% fewer viewers than men's 2023 events.
13
Podcast mentions: Women's NCAA basketball 10% of total sports pods in March 2023 Madness.
14
Twitter engagement: #USWNT posts 30% less retweets than #USMNT during qualifiers 2023.
15
Magazine covers: Sports Illustrated women athletes on 4% of covers 1954-2023.
16
Radio sports talk: 2% women's topics on US stations in 2023 survey.
17
Olympic coverage: NBC 2020 Tokyo gave women 58% airtime, up from 40% but still unequal vs participation.
18
Globally, women hold only 13% of sports media leadership roles in 2023 UNESCO report.
Interpretation
Media Coverage Disparity Interpretation
Across major media outlets women’s sports consistently receive a tiny share of coverage, with figures like only 0.4% globally in 2022 and as low as 4% of Fox Sports live broadcasts in 2023, showing a clear media coverage disparity that leaves women’s events far less visible than men’s.
03 · Category
Participation Gaps19 stats
01
In 2022, only 22% of girls aged 6-17 participated in organized sports vs 28% of boys in the US, per CDC data.
02
Worldwide, 1 in 3 girls drop out of sports by age 14 vs 1 in 10 boys, UNESCO 2023.
03
In India, female sports participation rate is 18% vs 37% for males aged 5-14, 2022 NFHS.
04
UK: Girls' physical activity drops 20% more than boys post-puberty, Sport England 2023.
05
Africa: Only 12% of women participate in sports vs 25% men, WHO 2022.
06
Australia: Indigenous girls participate 15% less in sports than boys, AIS 2023.
07
Brazil: Female soccer registration 8% of total youth players, male 92%, CBF 2022.
08
China: School sports girls enrollment 25% below boys in 2023 ministry data.
09
EU average: Women 24% less likely to be active in sports than men, Eurostat 2023.
10
Canada: Girls drop out of hockey at 2x rate of boys by age 13, Hockey Canada 2022.
11
South Africa: School netball girls 30% fewer teams than boys' rugby, SARU 2023.
12
Mexico: Female athletics participation 14% vs male 31% youth, CONADE 2022.
13
Japan: Women's judo club membership 40% below men's in high schools 2023.
14
Nigeria: Girls' soccer academies enroll 5% of total spots, NFF 2023.
15
Sweden: Immigrant girls participate 22% less in sports than boys, RF 2022.
16
US colleges: NCAA women's teams funded at 45% of men's equivalent sports 2023.
17
Rural girls in US: 35% participate in sports vs 50% urban boys, USDA 2022.
18
Post-COVID: Girls' sports return to play 18% slower than boys globally, IOC 2023.
19
Disability sports: Women 25% less represented in Paralympics youth programs 2022.
Interpretation
Participation Gaps Interpretation
Across countries, girls are consistently less likely than boys to participate in sports, with the gap widening from childhood to adolescence such as 22% of US girls aged 6 to 17 versus 28% of boys and 1 in 3 girls dropping out by age 14 compared with 1 in 10 boys, underscoring that participation gaps are a persistent and growing pattern rather than an isolated issue.
More related reading
04 · Category
Pay Inequality20 stats
01
In 2023, the total prize money for the FIFA Women's World Cup was $110 million, compared to $440 million for the men's tournament in 2022, highlighting a 75% pay gap.
02
Female athletes in the WNBA earned an average salary of $147,000in 2023, while NBA players averaged $9.3 million, a disparity of over 6,200%.
03
Tennis players Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have earned more in prize money than many male players, but overall WTA prize money in 2022 was $182 million vs ATP's $623 million, a 70% gap.
04
In golf, the 2023 LPGA Tour total prize money was $108 million, while PGA Tour offered $795 million, resulting in a 87% earnings disparity for women.
05
USWNT sued US Soccer Federation in 2019 over equal pay, revealing women played more games but earned $534,000less per player than men in 2016.
06
In athletics, the 2023 World Championships offered $30,000gold medal prize for women vs $80,000 for men in some events, a 62.5% gap.
07
Boxing pay: Katie Taylor earned $1 million for undisputed title fight vs Claressa Shields, but men's equivalents like Fury earned $100 million, 99% disparity.
08
Cricket: ICC Women's World Cup 2022 prize $2.36 million total vs Men's $5.75 million in 2023, 59% less for women.
09
Surfing: World Surf League 2023 women's prize purse $5.5 million vs men's $12.5 million, 56% gap.
10
Cycling: UCI Women's World Tour 2023 total prizes €12 million vs men's €100 million+, 88% disparity.
11
In 2022, top 10 female soccer players earned total $15 million vs top 10 males $400 million, 96% gap.
12
Volleyball: AVP women's tour 2023 average $20,000per player vs men's $100,000, 80% less.
13
Skiing: FIS women's Alpine World Cup 2022/23 total $4.5 million vs men's $7.5 million, 40% gap.
14
Equestrian: FEI women's eventing prizes average 30% less than men's grand prix events in 2023.
15
Darts: PDC women's events offer £50,000 total vs men's £15 million World Championship, 99.7% disparity.
16
Esports: Female Fortnite players earn 70% less prize money than males in 2023 tournaments.
17
Rowing: World Rowing Championships 2023 women's events $15,000gold vs men's $25,000, 40% gap.
18
Badminton: BWF women's singles finals 2023 $135,000vs men's same but overall tour 25% less purses.
19
Rugby: Women's Rugby World Cup 2021 $400,000total prize vs men's $6.25 million planned 2023, 94% gap.
20
Field hockey: FIH women's Pro League 2023 individual earnings avg $50,000vs men's $150,000, 67% less.
Interpretation
Pay Inequality Interpretation
Across Pay Inequality in sports, women earn far less than men, such as FIFA World Cup prize money of $110 million for women versus $440 million for men and LPGA’s $108 million compared with the PGA’s $795 million in 2023, showing a persistent multi hundred million dollar gap.
05 · Category
Sponsorship Differences19 stats
01
Globally, female athletes receive 21% of total sports sponsorship revenue despite growing participation, per 2022 Deloitte report.
02
In 2023, Nike's endorsement deals for women averaged $500,000vs $5 million for top male athletes, 90% gap.
03
Under Armour sponsors 15% fewer female pro athletes than males in 2022, with deals 40% smaller on average.
04
Adidas women's soccer sponsorships totaled €200 million in 2023 vs €1.2 billion for men, 83% disparity.
05
Gatorade endorses 8 top female athletes vs 45 males in 2023, with female deals averaging 60% less value.
06
Red Bull sponsors 120 male extreme sports athletes vs 25 females in 2023, sponsorship value 4x higher for men.
07
Puma's female athlete contracts average $300,000annually vs $1.5 million for males in 2022 track events.
08
Visa sponsors Olympic women's teams with 25% less funding per athlete than men's in 2024 Games prep.
09
Coca-Cola's FIFA women's sponsorship €50 million vs men's €500 million for 2023-2026 cycle, 90% gap.
10
State Farm insurance endorses 70% more male NBA players than WNBA in 2023, deals 3x larger.
11
In Olympic sports, women's events receive 16% of sponsorship dollars vs men's 84% in 2020 Tokyo per IOC data.
12
Surf brands like Rip Curl sponsor 10% female pros vs 90% males, with prize support 50% less in 2023.
13
Golf sponsors Titleist pay LPGA players 35% less endorsement fees than PGA in 2023.
14
Tennis brand Wilson offers WTA players avg $200k deals vs ATP $800k in 2022.
15
Cycling sponsor Specialized bikes funds women's teams at 20% of men's UCI budgets in 2023.
16
Ski brand Salomon sponsors 5 female freeriders vs 50 males, funding gap 70% in 2023.
17
MMA sponsor Venum pays UFC women 40% less per fight endorsement than men in 2023.
18
Swimming sponsor Speedo offers Olympic women 25% smaller bonuses than men post-2024.
19
Basketball shoe brand Peak sponsors CBA men at 10x WNBA women's deal values in 2023.
Interpretation
Sponsorship Differences Interpretation
Across sponsorships, women are consistently far less funded than men, getting just 21% of global sponsorship revenue in 2022 and, in 2023 examples, Nike averages $500,000 for women versus $5 million for top male athletes, showing a persistent sponsorship gap within the Sponsorship Differences category.
report visual · Key figures
Leadership remains male-dominated across major sports governing bodies
Across multiple organizations, women hold only a small share of top leadership roles—especially president/CEO-level positions—even where board representation is higher.
11%
Globally, women occupy only 11% of CEO positions in national sports federations, per 2023 IOC Gender Equality Review.
7%
FIFA: Only 7% of national associations have female presidents in 2023.
13%
UEFA: 13% women on executive committees of member associations 2022.
20%
Canadian Olympic Committee: 20% women on boards but 4% presidents 2023.
40%
USOPC: 40% women on board but 0% CEO history until recent interim 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Media Coverage Gap: Women’s Sports vs Men’s Sports
Across outlets and platforms, women’s sports receive a small share of airtime, pages, broadcasts, and leadership—highlighting a persistent disparity in sports media coverage.
0.4%
Globally, only 0.4% of sports media coverage is dedicated to women's sports, per 2022 Global Sport Media Report.
10%
In the US, ESPN airs 10% women's sports content vs 90% men's during prime time 2023.
12%
BBC Sports coverage: Women's events get 12% airtime vs men's 88% in 2022 Olympics.
5%
Newspapers like NY Times devote 5% of sports pages to women in 2023 annual review.
4%
Fox Sports US: Only 4% of live broadcasts are women's pro leagues in 2023 season.
8%
Australian media: Women's AFLW gets 8% coverage vs men's 92% per 2022 study.
report visual · Key figures
Participation gaps between girls and boys
Across countries, girls consistently participate less in organized sports than boys—by sizable margins in both participation and enrollment.
22%
In 2022, only 22% of girls aged 6-17 participated in organized sports vs 28% of boys in the US, per CDC data.
18%
In India, female sports participation rate is 18% vs 37% for males aged 5-14, 2022 NFHS.
12%
Africa: Only 12% of women participate in sports vs 25% men, WHO 2022.
8%
Brazil: Female soccer registration 8% of total youth players, male 92%, CBF 2022.
45%
US colleges: NCAA women's teams funded at 45% of men's equivalent sports 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Pay inequality across women’s vs men’s sports
Across major sports, women consistently receive far less prize money or earnings than men, with gaps ranging from about 40% to over 90% depending on sport and event.
75%
In 2023, the total prize money for the FIFA Women's World Cup was $110 million, compared to $440 million for the men's t
87%
In golf, the 2023 LPGA Tour total prize money was $108 million, while PGA Tour offered $795 million, resulting in a 87%
56%
Surfing: World Surf League 2023 women's prize purse $5.5 million vs men's $12.5 million, 56% gap.
88%
Cycling: UCI Women's World Tour 2023 total prizes €12 million vs men's €100 million+, 88% disparity.
59%
Cricket: ICC Women's World Cup 2022 prize $2.36 million total vs Men's $5.75 million in 2023, 59% less for women.
report visual · Key figures
Sponsorship gaps persist across brands and sports
Across major sponsorship categories, women receive a substantially smaller share or value than men—measured by revenue share and deal-size disparities.
21%
Globally, female athletes receive 21% of total sports sponsorship revenue despite growing participation, per 2022 Deloit
16%
In Olympic sports, women's events receive 16% of sponsorship dollars vs men's 84% in 2020 Tokyo per IOC data.
90%
In 2023, Nike's endorsement deals for women averaged $500,000 vs $5 million for top male athletes, 90% gap.
83%
Adidas women's soccer sponsorships totaled €200 million in 2023 vs €1.2 billion for men, 83% disparity.
25%
Visa sponsors Olympic women's teams with 25% less funding per athlete than men's in 2024 Games prep.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Gender Inequality In Sports Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gender-inequality-in-sports-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Gender Inequality In Sports Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gender-inequality-in-sports-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Gender Inequality In Sports Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gender-inequality-in-sports-statistics.
Sources & references
87 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level