# Global Gender Gap Report 2024

**Publisher:** World Economic Forum  
**Published:** n/a  
**Category:** Global institutions & policy  
**Type:** Index  
**Access:** Free  
**Official source:** https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/digest  
**Canonical:** https://tourismintel.ai/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2024

## At a glance
- Global gender gap closed 68.5% across 146 economies in 2024; progress stalled at +0.1 percentage points year-on-year.
- At current pace, full gender parity will take 134 years—far beyond the 2030 SDG target.
- Iceland leads (93.5% parity); Europe dominates top 10. Political empowerment remains largest gap at 22.5% closed.
- Women represent 42% of global workforce but only 31.7% of senior leaders; 21.5 percentage-point drop to C-suite.

## What the report covers
The World Economic Forum's 18th annual Global Gender Gap Index benchmarks gender parity across 146 economies using four dimensions: economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. The index includes longitudinal analysis of 101 continuously tracked nations since 2006, supplemented by LinkedIn workforce data and Coursera learning analytics. It identifies regional disparities and skills gaps affecting labour market outcomes.

## Key findings
The global gender gap score reached 68.5% in 2024, a marginal +0.1 percentage-point gain from 2023. Stalled progress has extended the timeline to full parity to 134 years, pushing equality well beyond the 2030 SDG target. Among the four dimensions, health and survival gaps have closed 96%, educational attainment 94.9%, economic participation 60.5%, and political empowerment only 22.5%.

Regional performance varies sharply. Europe leads at 75% parity closed, followed by Northern America (74.8%) and Latin America and the Caribbean (74.2%), which improved most since 2006 (+8.3 points). Southern Asia ranks seventh at 63.7%; Middle East and North Africa ranks last at 61.7%. Iceland (93.5%) remains the only economy above 90% parity, leading for 15 years.

Political empowerment is the slowest-moving dimension. Since 2006 it has gained 8.3 points to 22.8%, yet the 2024 forecast projects 169 years to parity—seven years longer than 2023. Gender parity in parliamentary representation reached a record 33% in 2024, nearly doubling from 18.8% in 2006, though ministerial and parliamentary roles remain male-dominated across most regions.

Workforce participation shows recovery but persistent leadership gaps. According to LinkedIn data, women comprise 42% of the global workforce but only 31.7% of senior leaders. The 'drop to the top' spans 21.5 percentage points: women occupy nearly half of entry-level positions but represent one-quarter of C-suite roles. Women's hiring into senior leadership deteriorated from 37.5% in 2023 to 36.4% in early 2024, correlating with macroeconomic decline.

STEM and AI talent gaps constrain future readiness. Women comprise 28.2% of the STEM workforce versus 47.3% in non-STEM roles. The C-suite drop is more pronounced in STEM. However, female AI talent concentration has more than doubled since 2016, with increasing representation across technology and media sectors. Gender parity in online skilling remains critically low: 30% in AI and big data, 31% in programming and cybersecurity courses.

## Key numbers
| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Global gender gap closed | 68.5% | 2024 observed across 146 economies |
| Year-on-year progress in gap closure | +0.1 percentage points | 2023 to 2024 observed (constant sample) |
| Time to reach full gender parity | 134 years | 2024 forecast based on current trajectory |
| Economies with over 60% gender gap closed | 97% | 2024 observed (146 economies); 85% in 2006 |
| Women in global workforce | 42% | LinkedIn 2024; 31.7% in senior leadership |
| Parliamentary representation parity | 33% | 2024 record observed; 18.8% in 2006 |
| Women in STEM workforce | 28.2% | LinkedIn 2024; 47.3% in non-STEM roles |

## Why it matters
**DMOs & destinations** — Gender gaps in workforce participation directly affect tourism labour markets. Regions with stronger parity (Europe, Northern America) show higher economic participation. Destinations relying on female hospitality workers face retention challenges when caregiving systems remain inequitable. DMOs must align talent strategies, equitable hiring practices, and destination positioning with gender inclusion commitments.

**Hotels & hospitality** — Hospitality employs high proportions of women, yet only 31.7% of senior leaders are female globally. Declining female hiring into senior roles correlates with economic downturns. Hotels leveraging DEI initiatives with sustained resourcing gain competitive advantage. Equitable care policies and leadership pipelines directly correlate with labour retention, workforce stability, and innovation as the sector recovers.

**Travel tech & distribution** — Tech talent pipelines show severe gender imbalance: 28.2% female STEM workers, only 30% parity in AI/cybersecurity training. Travel-tech companies face recruitment constraints and innovation gaps. However, rising female AI talent (doubled since 2016) offers opportunity. Platforms investing in equitable recruitment and skills development access broader talent pools and build resilience.

## Methodology and limits
The Global Gender Gap Index benchmarks 146 economies on a 0–100 scale across four dimensions. The 2024 edition includes longitudinal analysis of 101 countries tracked continuously since 2006. Workforce, leadership, and skills data derive from LinkedIn (2024 observations) and Coursera (learning enrolment patterns). Parliamentary representation figures are observed; timelines to parity are forecasts based on current trajectories. The brief is based on the publicly available summary only.

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© World Economic Forum for the original report. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel (https://tourismintel.ai). Read the original: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/digest