Gender equality index 2025 : sharper data for a changing world

Title page 1

Contents 6

Abbreviations 4

Gender Equality Index 2025 highlights 12

Introduction 15

1. Reviewing the Gender Equality Index for a changing EU 17

1.1. Understanding the Index 17

1.2. Rationale behind the Index review 19

1.3. What's new? Key changes to strengthen relevance 20

2. Gender equality in the EU at a glance 33

2.1. Gender equality out of reach for at least 50 years 33

2.2. Decision-making gains counteracts setbacks in education and health 35

2.3. Uneven paths towards gender equality 38

3. Domain of work 42

3.1. More women in jobs but also in poorer working conditions 44

3.2. Working men fare best in a couple with children 49

3.3. Tackling gender norms in work needs to start young 51

4. Domain of money 53

4.1. Bridging the earnings divide to close household inequalities 55

4.2. High earnings gap thwarts women's financial security 59

4.3. Entrenched views on gender roles shift patchily across EU 61

5. Domain of knowledge 63

5.1. Gender segregation in education - a high hurdle to overcome 65

5.2. Women continue to outperform men in tertiary education 69

5.3. Young people's widening perception gap on education equality 70

6. Domain of time 72

6.1. Time inequality in the EU: the forgotten cost of unpaid care 74

6.2. Everyday inequality of women's housework load 77

6.3. A gradual but slower shift towards more egalitarian views on gender roles at home 79

7. Domain of power 81

7.1. Dynamic progress but still far from equal power 84

7.2. Setbacks and overall standstill in women's political participation 88

7.3. Women leaders still caught in a stereotype double bind 91

8. Domain of health 94

8.1. High-performing health domain still misses the last mile 96

8.2. Low education a key marker of poor health - mostly for women 100

8.3. Almost one fifth of EU citizens believe that men are better treated in healthcare 102

9. Domain of violence 104

9.1. Violence is still prevalent, severe and undisclosed in the EU 107

9.2. Levels of disclosed violence higher among women under 45 109

9.3. Growing tolerance for abuse among youth threatens equality 111

Conclusions 114

References 119

Annex 1. List of indicators of the Gender Equality Index 130

Annex 2. Gender Equality Index scores 136

Annex 3. Gender Equality Index 2025: breakdown by indicators 156

Annex 4. Gender Equality Index: conceptual and measurement frameworks at a glance 168

Annex 5. Methodological note on the composite measure for violence against women 172

Tables 10

Table 1. Main characteristics of old and new Gender Equality Indices 20

Table 2. Comparing the old and new structures of the domain of work 22

Table 3. Comparing the old and new structures of the domain of money 23

Table 4. Comparing the old and new structures of the domain of knowledge 25

Table 5. Comparing the old and new structures of the domain of time 27

Table 6. Comparing the old and new structures of the domain of power 29

Table 7. Comparing the old and new structures of the domain of health 31

Table 8. Changes in the Gender Equality Index and domain scores, 2020-2025 37

Table 9. Indicators of the domain of work, EU-27 48

Table 10. Indicators of the domain of money, EU-27 58

Table 11. Indicators of the domain of knowledge, EU-27 68

Table 12. Indicators of the domain of time, EU-27 77

Table 13. Indicators of the domain of power, EU-27 87

Table 14. Indicators of the domain of health, EU-27 99

Table 15. Indicators of the domain of violence among 18- to 74-year-old respondents, EU-27 108

Table 16. Gender Equality Index 2025 - list of indicators 130

Table 17. Gender Equality Index 2025 - domains (scores and ranks) 136

Table 18. Gender Equality Index 2025 - domains and subdomains (scores and ranks) 138

Table 19. Gender Equality Index, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025 (scores and ranks) 142

Table 20. Gender Equality Index for the domain of work and its subdomains, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025 (scores and ranks) 144

Table 21. Gender Equality Index for the domain of money and its subdomains, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025 (scores and ranks) 146

Table 22. Gender Equality Index for the domain of knowledge and its subdomains, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025 (scores and ranks) 148

Table 23. Gender Equality Index for the domain of time and its subdomains, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025 (scores and ranks) 150

Table 24. Gender Equality Index for the domain of power and its subdomains, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025 (scores and ranks) 152

Table 25. Gender Equality Index for the domain of health and its subdomains, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025 (scores and ranks) 154

Table 26. Indicators of the domain of work 156

Table 27. Indicators of the domain of money 158

Table 28. Indicators of the domain of knowledge 160

Table 29. Indicators of the domain of time 162

Table 30. Indicators of the domain of power 164

Table 31. Indicators of domain of health 166

Table 32. Mean experts' weights used for the Gender Equality Index (rounded) 171

Table 33. Indicators of the composite measure for violence against women and changes since the 2017 edition 173

Figures 8

Figure 1. Gender Equality Index, 2010-2025 33

Figure 2. Gender Equality Index and domain scores, 2020 and 2025 34

Figure 3. Gender Equality Index and changes over time, 2025 (scores) 36

Figure 4. Patterns of convergence in the Gender Equality Index by Member State, 2010-2025 40

Figure 5. Gender Equality Index scores by Member State, 2010-2025 41

Figure 6. Domain of work and its subdomains, 2025 (scores) 45

Figure 7. Domain of work and its subdomains, EU-27, 2010-2025 (scores) 46

Figure 8. Domain of work and changes over time, 2025 (scores) 47

Figure 9. Full-time employment equivalent rate among 15- to 89-year-olds, EU-27 50

Figure 10. Women and men aged 16-74 agreeing that 'If childcare services are not available, mothers should stay at home with the child and fathers should prioritise their job' 52

Figure 11. Domain of money and its subdomains, 2025 (scores) 55

Figure 12. Domain of money and its subdomains, EU-27, 2010-2025 (scores) 56

Figure 13. Domain of money and changes over time, 2025 (scores) 57

Figure 14. Median of earnings expressed as a percentage of a partner's earnings for coupled women and men among the EU-27 population aged 18-64 60

Figure 15. Women and men aged 16-74 agreeing that 'Women should make most of the decisions on how to run a household (planning and organising meals,... 62

Figure 16. Domain of knowledge and its subdomains, 2025 (scores) 65

Figure 17. Domain of knowledge and its subdomains, EU-27, 2010-2025 (scores) 66

Figure 18. Domain of knowledge and changes over time, 2025 (scores) 67

Figure 19. Graduates of tertiary education, age group 30-34, EU-27 69

Figure 20. Women and men disagreeing that 'A university education is more important for a boy than for a girl', age group 15 and over 71

Figure 21. Domain of time and its subdomains, 2025 (scores) 74

Figure 22. Domain of time and its subdomains, EU-27, 2015-2025 (scores) 75

Figure 23. Domain of time and changes over time, 2025 (scores) 76

Figure 24. Share of women and men aged 16-74 doing housework chores (cooking, cleaning, laundry) every day, EU-27, 2024 78

Figure 25. Women and men aged 16-74 agreeing that 'It is good for family well-being when fathers and mothers equally share parental leave', EU-27, 2024 80

Figure 26. Domain of power and its subdomains, 2025 (scores) 84

Figure 27. Domain of power and its subdomains, EU-27, 2010-2025 (scores) 85

Figure 28. Domain of power and changes over time, 2025 (scores) 86

Figure 29. Share of women government ministers, 2020 and 2024 89

Figure 30. Share of women members of regional or local assemblies, 2020 and 2024 90

Figure 31. Women and men aged 18-74 agreeing that 'Men are more ambitious than women in politics', EU-27 92

Figure 32. Domain of health and its subdomains, 2025 (scores) 96

Figure 33. Domain of health and its subdomains, EU-27, 2010-2025 (scores) 97

Figure 34. Domain of health and changes over time, 2025 (scores) 98

Figure 35. Self-perceived health among 16-year-olds and above, EU-27 101

Figure 36. Women and men aged 15+ who think that men are better treated by medical staff in their Member State 103

Figure 37. Domain of violence and subdomains, 2025 (scores) 107

Figure 38. Women victims of intentional homicide by a family member / relative or intimate partner, 2023 (rate per 100 000 inhabitants) 109

Figure 39. Women having experienced physical and/or sexual violence by any perpetrator since age 15, age group 18-74, EU-27 110

Figure 40. Women and men agreeing that 'A man controlling his wife's/partner's finances is acceptable', age group 18 and above, by Member State 112