World’s best countries for women in 2025–26 revealed

In a world where gender equality remains uneven, a select group of nations continues to demonstrate what meaningful inclusion, justice, and security for women truly look like. The 2025-26 Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index, published by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, evaluates women’s well-being across 13 indicators spanning three key dimensions: inclusion (economic, social and political participation), justice (legal protections and absence of discrimination), and security (personal safety and freedom from conflict or violence). The rankings once again highlight the dominance of Nordic and Western European countries.

Denmark takes the top position globally. With strong welfare systems, extensive parental leave policies, affordable childcare, and high female labour force participation, the country excels in inclusion. Legal equality is strongly rooted in its governance structures, and low levels of violence and high levels of social trust help to create strong security scores. A well-balanced approach to work-life integration is a key factor in Denmark’s leading position.

Iceland remains one of the most gender-equal countries in the world. The country has a historic equal pay certification law that requires businesses to demonstrate equal pay, which improves justice metrics. Women are well-represented in politics and leadership positions, and the culture embraces equality. Together with high levels of safety and inclusive governance, Iceland persists in being one of the best in the world.

Norway and Sweden share the third position, which mirrors very similar strengths in all three pillars. Norway has gender quotas in the boardroom, universal childcare, and comprehensive social security networks. Women’s participation in the workforce is high, and crime rates are low, which contributes to the development of high security scores. Sweden is famous for its progressive equality agenda, robust antidiscrimination legislation, and good reproductive health services. High levels of political representation and generous parental leave policies help to create strong inclusion scores.

Finland maintains the Nordic tradition of highly educated women, high parliamentary representation, and a secure public space. Its social welfare systems and dedication to equality in leadership roles help to ensure a high justice and inclusion score.

Luxembourg is a forerunner in economic inclusion and legal empowerment. It has a high level of income, strong labor laws, and a very good healthcare system that supports women’s well-being.

Belgium is a forerunner in anti-discrimination legislation and gender equality legislation. Women are actively represented in public and political life, and social welfare systems help to ensure economic inclusion and justice.

The Netherlands is a leader in flexible working conditions and a strong culture of work-life balance. High female participation rates, flexible part-time work, and good childcare support help to ensure inclusion, and strong legislation helps to ensure justice.

Austria and New Zealand rank joint eighth. Austria enjoys strong labor laws, easy access to healthcare, and good equality legislation, although parity in leadership roles is still a challenge. New Zealand stands out in the Asia-Pacific region for its history of female political leadership and inclusive governance. Strong legal protections and relatively high personal safety enhance its ranking.

Australia and Estonia share the ninth position. Australia performs well in economic participation and in institutional protection, although there is still work to be done to address pay gaps and domestic violence issues. Estonia’s strong education attainment among women and its digitally driven economy are positive factors in inclusion and justice scores.

Ireland occupies the final spot in the top 10. Social changes and economic developments have improved women’s equality under the law and in the workforce. Advances in justice scores have improved its position in the world.