GITNUXREPORT 2026

Women Statistics

Women's global health, education, and economic disparities reveal critical challenges and progress.

Min-ji Park

Research Analyst focused on sustainability and consumer trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Worldwide, women comprise 49.6% of the population but vary by country

Statistic 2

Global fertility rate for women is 2.3 children per woman (2021)

Statistic 3

In the US, 18.5% of women are aged 65+ (2023)

Statistic 4

Niger has highest fertility at 6.7 children per woman

Statistic 5

Globally, 18% of women are married before age 18

Statistic 6

In India, sex ratio at birth is 108 boys per 100 girls

Statistic 7

EU median age for first marriage for women is 30.1 years

Statistic 8

Globally, 736 million women alive today were married as children

Statistic 9

In Japan, women life expectancy is 87.1 years

Statistic 10

US single-mother households are 23% of families with children

Statistic 11

Globally, 48% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18 in lowest wealth quintile

Statistic 12

In China, 51.2% of population is female

Statistic 13

Average age of first birth for US women is 27.3 years (2021)

Statistic 14

Globally, 15% of women head households

Statistic 15

In Russia, sex ratio is 86 men per 100 women

Statistic 16

Sub-Saharan Africa has 101 women per 100 men

Statistic 17

In UAE, expatriate women outnumber men in some sectors, but overall 30% female

Statistic 18

Global divorce rate for women peaks at age 25-29

Statistic 19

In Italy, 34.3% of women aged 30-34 are childless

Statistic 20

Qatar has sex ratio of 36 women per 100 men due to migrants

Statistic 21

Globally, 257 million children live without mothers

Statistic 22

In South Korea, fertility rate is 0.78 children per woman (2022)

Statistic 23

US Hispanic women have fertility rate of 1.9

Statistic 24

In France, 25% of women aged 18-49 have no children

Statistic 25

Global average household size for female-headed is 4.1 persons

Statistic 26

In Latvia, 54% of population is female

Statistic 27

Women globally delay marriage, average age rising to 25.7 years

Statistic 28

Globally, the female labor force participation rate is 47% compared to 72% for men (2022)

Statistic 29

In the US, women earn 82 cents for every dollar men earn (2022 median)

Statistic 30

Women-owned businesses are 13% of total globally but employ 40% fewer people

Statistic 31

In the EU, 33% of entrepreneurs are women (2021)

Statistic 32

Globally, women spend 3 times more hours on unpaid care work than men

Statistic 33

In India, women's labor participation is 23.3% (PLFS 2022-23)

Statistic 34

OECD gender pay gap averages 12%

Statistic 35

In the US, 44% of women work in low-wage jobs vs 37% men

Statistic 36

Globally, 70% of women in informal employment lack social protection

Statistic 37

In Brazil, black women earn 44% less than white men

Statistic 38

Women hold 27% of parliamentary seats but only 8% of Fortune 500 CEOs

Statistic 39

In Japan, women's employment rate is 53% vs 71% men (2022)

Statistic 40

Globally, closing gender gap could add $28 trillion to GDP by 2025

Statistic 41

In South Africa, women are 43% of the workforce but 61% of the poor

Statistic 42

US women with children under 6 have 76% participation rate

Statistic 43

In Germany, motherhood penalty reduces wages by 18%

Statistic 44

Globally, 2.7 billion women face legal barriers to work

Statistic 45

In Mexico, women's informal employment is 54%

Statistic 46

UK gender pay gap for full-time is 7.4% (2023)

Statistic 47

In Australia, women retire with 47% less superannuation than men

Statistic 48

Globally, women farmers produce 60-80% of food in developing countries

Statistic 49

In China, urban women's employment rate is 62%

Statistic 50

US Black women face 36% pay gap vs white men

Statistic 51

In Italy, 47% of women vs 67% men employed (2022)

Statistic 52

Globally, women receive 10% of agricultural funding

Statistic 53

In 2021, female literacy rate globally stood at 83.1% for women aged 15+, compared to 90% for men

Statistic 54

In sub-Saharan Africa, only 65% of girls complete lower secondary school

Statistic 55

Women represent 35% of STEM graduates worldwide

Statistic 56

In the US, 59% of college students are women

Statistic 57

Globally, 130 million girls are out of school

Statistic 58

In India, female literacy rate is 70.3% vs 84.7% for males (2021)

Statistic 59

OECD countries show women earning 25% more bachelor's degrees than men

Statistic 60

In Afghanistan, only 13% of girls attend secondary school

Statistic 61

Globally, women account for 54% of university enrollment

Statistic 62

In Latin America, indigenous women have literacy rates 20% lower than non-indigenous

Statistic 63

In the EU, 47% of women aged 25-34 have tertiary education vs 37% men

Statistic 64

Pakistan has a gender parity index of 0.85 for primary education

Statistic 65

In the US, women earn 57% of bachelor's degrees in 2021

Statistic 66

Globally, 6 million girls drop out of school due to child marriage yearly

Statistic 67

In Nigeria, 60% of out-of-school children are girls

Statistic 68

Women in Japan hold 16% of STEM PhDs

Statistic 69

In Brazil, black women have 12 years less schooling on average than white men

Statistic 70

Globally, rural girls are 17% less likely to attend primary school

Statistic 71

In the UK, 45% of women have higher education vs 38% men

Statistic 72

Yemen has female literacy at 35%

Statistic 73

In South Korea, women are 50% of college students but underrepresented in STEM

Statistic 74

Globally, 250 million women lack basic literacy skills

Statistic 75

In Ethiopia, girls' secondary enrollment is 26%

Statistic 76

US women earn 60% of master's degrees

Statistic 77

In Saudi Arabia, female tertiary enrollment rose to 72% in 2020

Statistic 78

Globally, the gender gap in education will close by 2069 at current rates

Statistic 79

In France, 52% of PhD students are women

Statistic 80

Bangladesh girls' primary completion rate is 97%

Statistic 81

Worldwide, women face 20% more barriers to digital education

Statistic 82

Globally, in 2022, approximately 287,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for roughly 70% of these deaths

Statistic 83

In the United States, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women excluding skin cancers, with an estimated 297,790 new cases in 2023

Statistic 84

Women worldwide have a life expectancy of 74.2 years as of 2021, compared to 69.8 years for men

Statistic 85

About 1 in 8 women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime

Statistic 86

Globally, 94% of maternal deaths occur in low and lower middle-income countries

Statistic 87

In 2020, cervical cancer caused 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths worldwide, primarily affecting women in low- and middle-income countries

Statistic 88

Women aged 50 and older account for 95% of osteoporosis cases in the US

Statistic 89

Depression affects women twice as likely as men globally, with 5.1% of women experiencing it compared to 3.6% of men

Statistic 90

In the EU, 23% of women aged 15-49 are overweight or obese, compared to 17% of men

Statistic 91

HIV prevalence among women in sub-Saharan Africa is 1.9%, nearly twice that of men at 1.1%

Statistic 92

Anemia affects 30% of women aged 15-49 globally

Statistic 93

In India, 57% of women aged 15-49 suffer from anemia

Statistic 94

Globally, 16% of women aged 30-49 are current tobacco smokers

Statistic 95

Suicide rates for women in the US are 6.2 per 100,000, lower than men's 22.8 but still significant

Statistic 96

Osteoporosis causes 8.9 million fractures annually worldwide, 75% in women

Statistic 97

In the UK, 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, impacting health outcomes

Statistic 98

Globally, 50 million women live with female genital mutilation

Statistic 99

In the US, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, killing 314,000 annually

Statistic 100

Alzheimer's disease affects women at twice the rate of men, with 2/3 of patients being women

Statistic 101

Globally, 1.9 billion women of reproductive age are overweight or obese

Statistic 102

In low-income countries, 82% of women have no or inadequate health coverage

Statistic 103

Endometriosis affects 10% of reproductive-age women globally (190 million)

Statistic 104

In Australia, 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner

Statistic 105

Globally, 35% of women have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence

Statistic 106

In the US, 48.4% of women have hypertension

Statistic 107

Rheumatoid arthritis is 2-3 times more common in women than men

Statistic 108

In Europe, 22% of women aged 18-29 are obese

Statistic 109

Globally, 9% of women live with diabetes

Statistic 110

In Canada, women represent 75% of those diagnosed with Alzheimer's

Statistic 111

Globally, 2.6 million women died from cardiovascular diseases in 2019

Statistic 112

Women hold 27% of seats in national parliaments worldwide as of 2023

Statistic 113

In Rwanda, women occupy 61% of parliamentary seats, the highest globally

Statistic 114

Globally, only 22 women serve as Heads of State or Government in 2023

Statistic 115

In the US, women hold 28% of congressional seats (2023)

Statistic 116

EU has 32.7% women in national parliaments average

Statistic 117

In Cuba, 55.7% of parliamentarians are women

Statistic 118

Globally, 6% of elected heads of state are women

Statistic 119

In Mexico, gender parity law led to 50% women in Congress (2021)

Statistic 120

Nordic countries average 47% women in parliaments

Statistic 121

In the UK, 40% of MPs are women post-2024 election

Statistic 122

Globally, women are 35.5% of local government representatives

Statistic 123

In Argentina, 50% quota boosted women to 40% in Congress

Statistic 124

US women governors are 10 out of 50 states (20%)

Statistic 125

In Vietnam, 30% of National Assembly seats held by women

Statistic 126

Globally, violence prevents 1 in 5 women from political participation

Statistic 127

In Finland, 46% parliament women

Statistic 128

Saudi Arabia appointed 20% women to Shura Council

Statistic 129

In Canada, 30% of MPs are women (2021)

Statistic 130

Globally, women justices are 28% in highest courts

Statistic 131

In New Zealand, women are 50% of parliament (2023)

Statistic 132

India has 14.4% women in Lok Sabha

Statistic 133

In UAE, 50% of Federal National Council are women

Statistic 134

Globally, 13 countries have 50%+ women in lower house

Statistic 135

France has 39% women in National Assembly (2022)

Statistic 136

In South Africa, 46% parliament women

Statistic 137

US Supreme Court has 33% women justices currently

Statistic 138

Globally, women are 26% of ministers (2023)

Statistic 139

In Sweden, 47% parliament women

1/139

Sources

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While women carry the immense gift of creating life, they shoulder a staggering global burden of maternal mortality, with sub-Saharan Africa alone accounting for roughly 70% of the 287,000 pregnancy-related deaths in 2022.

Key Takeaways

Globally, in 2022, approximately 287,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for roughly 70% of these deaths
In the United States, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women excluding skin cancers, with an estimated 297,790 new cases in 2023
Women worldwide have a life expectancy of 74.2 years as of 2021, compared to 69.8 years for men
In 2021, female literacy rate globally stood at 83.1% for women aged 15+, compared to 90% for men
In sub-Saharan Africa, only 65% of girls complete lower secondary school
Women represent 35% of STEM graduates worldwide
Globally, the female labor force participation rate is 47% compared to 72% for men (2022)
In the US, women earn 82 cents for every dollar men earn (2022 median)
Women-owned businesses are 13% of total globally but employ 40% fewer people
Women hold 27% of seats in national parliaments worldwide as of 2023
In Rwanda, women occupy 61% of parliamentary seats, the highest globally
Globally, only 22 women serve as Heads of State or Government in 2023
Worldwide, women comprise 49.6% of the population but vary by country
Global fertility rate for women is 2.3 children per woman (2021)
In the US, 18.5% of women are aged 65+ (2023)

Women's global health, education, and economic disparities reveal critical challenges and progress.

Demographics

Worldwide, women comprise 49.6% of the population but vary by country
Global fertility rate for women is 2.3 children per woman (2021)
In the US, 18.5% of women are aged 65+ (2023)
Niger has highest fertility at 6.7 children per woman
Globally, 18% of women are married before age 18
In India, sex ratio at birth is 108 boys per 100 girls
EU median age for first marriage for women is 30.1 years
Globally, 736 million women alive today were married as children
In Japan, women life expectancy is 87.1 years
US single-mother households are 23% of families with children
Globally, 48% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18 in lowest wealth quintile
In China, 51.2% of population is female
Average age of first birth for US women is 27.3 years (2021)
Globally, 15% of women head households
In Russia, sex ratio is 86 men per 100 women
Sub-Saharan Africa has 101 women per 100 men
In UAE, expatriate women outnumber men in some sectors, but overall 30% female
Global divorce rate for women peaks at age 25-29
In Italy, 34.3% of women aged 30-34 are childless
Qatar has sex ratio of 36 women per 100 men due to migrants
Globally, 257 million children live without mothers
In South Korea, fertility rate is 0.78 children per woman (2022)
US Hispanic women have fertility rate of 1.9
In France, 25% of women aged 18-49 have no children
Global average household size for female-headed is 4.1 persons
In Latvia, 54% of population is female
Women globally delay marriage, average age rising to 25.7 years

Demographics Interpretation

A global snapshot of women reveals a complex portrait where soaring life expectancies and delayed life milestones coexist with entrenched child marriage and startling fertility divides, proving that half of humanity cannot be captured by a single statistic.

Economy

Globally, the female labor force participation rate is 47% compared to 72% for men (2022)
In the US, women earn 82 cents for every dollar men earn (2022 median)
Women-owned businesses are 13% of total globally but employ 40% fewer people
In the EU, 33% of entrepreneurs are women (2021)
Globally, women spend 3 times more hours on unpaid care work than men
In India, women's labor participation is 23.3% (PLFS 2022-23)
OECD gender pay gap averages 12%
In the US, 44% of women work in low-wage jobs vs 37% men
Globally, 70% of women in informal employment lack social protection
In Brazil, black women earn 44% less than white men
Women hold 27% of parliamentary seats but only 8% of Fortune 500 CEOs
In Japan, women's employment rate is 53% vs 71% men (2022)
Globally, closing gender gap could add $28 trillion to GDP by 2025
In South Africa, women are 43% of the workforce but 61% of the poor
US women with children under 6 have 76% participation rate
In Germany, motherhood penalty reduces wages by 18%
Globally, 2.7 billion women face legal barriers to work
In Mexico, women's informal employment is 54%
UK gender pay gap for full-time is 7.4% (2023)
In Australia, women retire with 47% less superannuation than men
Globally, women farmers produce 60-80% of food in developing countries
In China, urban women's employment rate is 62%
US Black women face 36% pay gap vs white men
In Italy, 47% of women vs 67% men employed (2022)
Globally, women receive 10% of agricultural funding

Economy Interpretation

We are running a global marathon with half the participants weighed down by invisible backpacks filled with society's unpaid chores and systemic hurdles, while the other half sprints ahead on a cleared track, yet we're all handed the same finish line and told it's a fair race.

Education

In 2021, female literacy rate globally stood at 83.1% for women aged 15+, compared to 90% for men
In sub-Saharan Africa, only 65% of girls complete lower secondary school
Women represent 35% of STEM graduates worldwide
In the US, 59% of college students are women
Globally, 130 million girls are out of school
In India, female literacy rate is 70.3% vs 84.7% for males (2021)
OECD countries show women earning 25% more bachelor's degrees than men
In Afghanistan, only 13% of girls attend secondary school
Globally, women account for 54% of university enrollment
In Latin America, indigenous women have literacy rates 20% lower than non-indigenous
In the EU, 47% of women aged 25-34 have tertiary education vs 37% men
Pakistan has a gender parity index of 0.85 for primary education
In the US, women earn 57% of bachelor's degrees in 2021
Globally, 6 million girls drop out of school due to child marriage yearly
In Nigeria, 60% of out-of-school children are girls
Women in Japan hold 16% of STEM PhDs
In Brazil, black women have 12 years less schooling on average than white men
Globally, rural girls are 17% less likely to attend primary school
In the UK, 45% of women have higher education vs 38% men
Yemen has female literacy at 35%
In South Korea, women are 50% of college students but underrepresented in STEM
Globally, 250 million women lack basic literacy skills
In Ethiopia, girls' secondary enrollment is 26%
US women earn 60% of master's degrees
In Saudi Arabia, female tertiary enrollment rose to 72% in 2020
Globally, the gender gap in education will close by 2069 at current rates
In France, 52% of PhD students are women
Bangladesh girls' primary completion rate is 97%
Worldwide, women face 20% more barriers to digital education

Education Interpretation

The world is a maddeningly inconsistent report card, showing we've brilliantly educated women in some places while deliberately keeping the pencil from their hands in others.

Health

Globally, in 2022, approximately 287,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for roughly 70% of these deaths
In the United States, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women excluding skin cancers, with an estimated 297,790 new cases in 2023
Women worldwide have a life expectancy of 74.2 years as of 2021, compared to 69.8 years for men
About 1 in 8 women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime
Globally, 94% of maternal deaths occur in low and lower middle-income countries
In 2020, cervical cancer caused 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths worldwide, primarily affecting women in low- and middle-income countries
Women aged 50 and older account for 95% of osteoporosis cases in the US
Depression affects women twice as likely as men globally, with 5.1% of women experiencing it compared to 3.6% of men
In the EU, 23% of women aged 15-49 are overweight or obese, compared to 17% of men
HIV prevalence among women in sub-Saharan Africa is 1.9%, nearly twice that of men at 1.1%
Anemia affects 30% of women aged 15-49 globally
In India, 57% of women aged 15-49 suffer from anemia
Globally, 16% of women aged 30-49 are current tobacco smokers
Suicide rates for women in the US are 6.2 per 100,000, lower than men's 22.8 but still significant
Osteoporosis causes 8.9 million fractures annually worldwide, 75% in women
In the UK, 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, impacting health outcomes
Globally, 50 million women live with female genital mutilation
In the US, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, killing 314,000 annually
Alzheimer's disease affects women at twice the rate of men, with 2/3 of patients being women
Globally, 1.9 billion women of reproductive age are overweight or obese
In low-income countries, 82% of women have no or inadequate health coverage
Endometriosis affects 10% of reproductive-age women globally (190 million)
In Australia, 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner
Globally, 35% of women have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence
In the US, 48.4% of women have hypertension
Rheumatoid arthritis is 2-3 times more common in women than men
In Europe, 22% of women aged 18-29 are obese
Globally, 9% of women live with diabetes
In Canada, women represent 75% of those diagnosed with Alzheimer's
Globally, 2.6 million women died from cardiovascular diseases in 2019

Health Interpretation

Behind the veneer of statistical calm, a silent war is being waged against women's health, where the frontlines are drawn by poverty, gender-based violence, and systemic neglect.

Politics

Women hold 27% of seats in national parliaments worldwide as of 2023
In Rwanda, women occupy 61% of parliamentary seats, the highest globally
Globally, only 22 women serve as Heads of State or Government in 2023
In the US, women hold 28% of congressional seats (2023)
EU has 32.7% women in national parliaments average
In Cuba, 55.7% of parliamentarians are women
Globally, 6% of elected heads of state are women
In Mexico, gender parity law led to 50% women in Congress (2021)
Nordic countries average 47% women in parliaments
In the UK, 40% of MPs are women post-2024 election
Globally, women are 35.5% of local government representatives
In Argentina, 50% quota boosted women to 40% in Congress
US women governors are 10 out of 50 states (20%)
In Vietnam, 30% of National Assembly seats held by women
Globally, violence prevents 1 in 5 women from political participation
In Finland, 46% parliament women
Saudi Arabia appointed 20% women to Shura Council
In Canada, 30% of MPs are women (2021)
Globally, women justices are 28% in highest courts
In New Zealand, women are 50% of parliament (2023)
India has 14.4% women in Lok Sabha
In UAE, 50% of Federal National Council are women
Globally, 13 countries have 50%+ women in lower house
France has 39% women in National Assembly (2022)
In South Africa, 46% parliament women
US Supreme Court has 33% women justices currently
Globally, women are 26% of ministers (2023)
In Sweden, 47% parliament women

Politics Interpretation

While the world has a few bright spots where women’s political power is flourishing, the overall global picture remains a stubbornly uneven patchwork where the default setting is still 'man'.

Sources & References

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