Sweden has taken the top spot as the best country for working women, according to The Economist’s latest glass-ceiling index, released for International Women’s Day. Sweden’s rise dethroned Iceland, which held the title for the past two years. Meanwhile, the United States came in at a disappointing 19th place, with below-average support for working women.
The Economist releases their glass-ceiling index yearly, comparing women’s working conditions across 29 OECD countries. This year’s index ranks countries based on ten measures, including pay, education, parental leave, and representation in leadership roles.
Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Norway once again dominated the top of the rankings, serving as global role models for gender equity. At the other end of the spectrum, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, and Switzerland ranked as the most challenging places for women to thrive professionally. While the United States climbed three spots compared to last year, it still sits below average according to the index measures.
The U.S. Is Only Country With No Federally-Mandated Paid Parental Leave
Across the 29 countries analyzed, the average paid maternity leave was 31.6 weeks—with Hungary offering a staggering 78.9 weeks of paid leave for new mothers. Meanwhile, the United States stands alone with zero federally guaranteed paid leave for new moms. Instead, American workers rely on the Family and Medical Leave Act, which only guarantees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for eligible employees. A few states have stepped in to mandate paid maternity leave at the state level, but national coverage remains elusive.
When it comes to paid paternity leave, the average across the 29 countries is 7.9 weeks, with Japan leading the pack, offering fathers 31.1 weeks of paid leave. In contrast, the U.S., once again, offers none. Paternity leave matters—not only because fathers deserve time to bond with their babies but also because it directly impacts women’s careers. When only women take extended time off for caregiving, it reinforces outdated gender roles, hurts women’s advancement, and signals to employers that women are less committed to their jobs. This contributes to persistent pay gaps and fewer women in leadership roles.
The U.S. also ranks as the third most expensive country for parents, with childcare consuming roughly 30% of the average wage. This financial burden hits women especially hard since they still shoulder most caregiving responsibilities. Without affordable, accessible childcare, many women face tough choices between career advancement and family demands.
Women Take Only About A Third Of GMAT Exams In U.S.
Regarding education, women are graduating from university at much higher rates than men. “As of last year, 45% of women had a degree, compared with 36.9% of men—a slightly bigger gap than in 2023,” the report states.
But the numbers tell a different story when it comes to advanced degrees. MBA programs—often considered a fast track to leadership roles and higher salaries—still see fewer women applying. Far more men than women take the GMAT—the key entrance exam for MBA programs—even though women earn more university degrees than men. In the U.S., just 36.2% of GMAT test-takers were women. Finland is the only country where more women than men sat for the exam.
Only A Third Of U.S. Board Seats Are Held By Women
Even without MBA degrees, women in the U.S. are faring relatively well in management roles. According to The Economist, U.S. women fill 42.9% of managerial roles—a figure only Sweden surpasses, with 43.7% of leadership positions held by women.
But when it comes to corporate boardrooms, the U.S. doesn’t fare nearly as well and lands in the middle of the pack. Women occupy just 33.7% of board seats in the U.S.—a stark contrast to several countries with mandatory gender quotas for corporate boards. Norway led the way on quotas, becoming the first country to require at least 40% female representation on boards back in 2005. Since then, several other nations have adopted similar quotas, helping them surpass the U.S. in female board representation.
California passed a law mandating women on corporate boards in 2018, but it was deemed unconstitutional in 2022.
U.S. Ranks Among Worst For Equal Pay
For most women, a seat on a corporate board may feel out of reach— so gender differences in pay may be a more relatable measure of a country’s progress in this area. The U.S. ranked a dismal 25th out of the 29 countries, with one of the widest pay gaps. In the U.S., men earn 16.4% more than women. Only four countries—South Korea, Israel, Japan, and Finland—had more significant pay gaps than the U.S..
What stands out most about the gender pay gap is how stubbornly flat it remains over time. Over the past eight years, progress has been minimal, signaling that barriers—from limited parental leave and unaffordable child care to gender bias and outdated stereotypes—continue to hold women back. The takeaway is that time alone won’t close these gaps, and meaningful change will require both policy reforms and cultural shifts.