China returns to top 100 in gender parity ranking for first time since 2016

For the first time in over a decade, China has returned to the top 100 in an annual global ranking of gender parity, according to a report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2026. China's gender gap has narrowed to 69.9 percent, a 1.3 percentage point increase from the previous year, lifting the nation's ranking from 103rd place to 96th place.

This marks the first time China has appeared in the top 100 since 2016, when it was ranked 99th. In comparison, South Korea (101), Japan (117) and India (131) also made the top 100 this year, but China was outperformed by Singapore (31), Bangladesh (79) and Vietnam (84).

The report assessed gender equality across four dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. China's biggest gain was in economic participation and opportunity, which rose by 10.3 percentage points to 72.3 percent, placing the country in 57th globally.

China also made progress in educational attainment, increasing its score by 5.3 percentage points to 98.8 percent, largely due to achieving full parity in tertiary enrollment in 2009 and a two-decade improvement in adult literacy.

However, China's gender gap in sex ratio at birth remains, with 0.907 boys born for every 100 girls, compared to the benchmark of 0.944 girls for every 100 boys. This has resulted in China's score for the health and survival sub-index being 94.8 percent, ranking 144th. In terms of political empowerment, China scored 13.5 percent, placing it 111th. Despite this improvement, China ranked below several other major economies in the region, including Singapore, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

Despite these advancements, China still lags behind in areas such as women's representation in high-level leadership roles, with women holding just 19.1 percent of CEO roles and only one in 10 ministerial positions considered to be of high influence. Human rights researcher Yaqiu Wang noted that while China's score has improved and it has returned to the top 100, its 96th position remains disappointing for a country that is a leading technological power.

Wang cited persistent problems such as the skewed sex ratio at birth and the scarcity of women in senior political positions as reflecting deeply rooted preferences for sons and assumptions that men are better suited to lead. Official policies in China, including restrictions on independent women's rights groups and censorship of online discussions on gender issues, have also impeded progress.

Assistant Professor Jia Wang from Hong Kong Polytechnic University highlighted the need for specific measures to close the gender gaps, including more balanced parental leave, affordable childcare, stronger anti-discrimination enforcement and clearer pathways for women into leadership positions. Wang emphasized that while expanding educational and economic opportunities matters, lasting equality requires women to be free to organize and speak.