India ranks 131st in the Global Gender Gap Index 2026. Here are the rankings and gender parity scores of India’s neighbouring South Asian countries.
New Delhi: India ranks 131st among 145 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2026, which measures gender equality worldwide. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has recorded India’s gender parity score at 64.5 per cent.
India has marginally improved its score from the previous year but has retained the same overall rank. A comparison with India’s South Asian neighbours presents a mixed picture. Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan and Sri Lanka rank above India, while Nepal and Pakistan rank below it.
Which South Asian countries rank ahead of India?
Bangladesh ranks 79th in the 2026 index, closing 71.2 per cent of its gender gap. However, its score has fallen by 6.2 percentage points from the previous year. Despite the decline, Bangladesh holds the highest position among South Asian countries.
Bangladesh continues to perform strongly in political empowerment and ranks 12th globally in this sub-index.
The Maldives ranks 90th. Its gender parity score has improved by 4.4 percentage points from the previous year, placing the country among the economies with the largest annual improvements in the 2026 edition.
Nepal ranks 120th, while Bhutan ranks 121st. Nepal has recorded a gender parity score of around 66.9 per cent, compared with Bhutan’s 66.3 per cent. Nepal has improved its ranking, while Bhutan has slipped in the rankings.
Sri Lanka ranks 129th with a score of 64.6 per cent. The country therefore ranks just two places above India. With India scoring 64.5 per cent, the gap between the two countries remains marginal.
Pakistan ranks below India at 143rd, with 59.5 per cent of its gender gap closed. However, Pakistan has improved its score by 2.8 percentage points from the previous year.
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What does India’s performance show?
India has closed 64.5 per cent of its gender gap. The country has improved its score by 4.3 percentage points since 2006. However, India’s score remains below the global average of 69.2 per cent.
The largest gap in India’s performance appears between education and economic participation. India has achieved 96.6 per cent gender parity in education, including complete parity in secondary and higher education.
However, the country scores only 41.2 per cent in Economic Participation and Opportunity. This places India 143rd globally in the sub-index.
Women’s labour-force participation also continues to show a significant gender gap. India recorded 44.1 per cent parity in labour-force participation in 2026.
At the same time, India has made progress in the share of women among professional and technical workers. The country increased parity in this category from 26.6 per cent in 2006 to 49.9 per cent in 2026.
Political empowerment remains India’s strongest-performing sub-index. India ranks 67th globally in this category. However, the country has not yet closed the gender gap in parliamentary and ministerial representation.
Women account for only 16.1 per cent of the gender gap closed in parliamentary representation, while the figure for ministerial positions stands at 5.9 per cent.
What does the picture among India’s neighbours indicate?
South Asia does not follow a uniform pattern when it comes to gender equality. Some countries have achieved stronger outcomes in areas such as education and political representation, while several continue to face significant gaps in economic participation.
Even the countries that rank above India show uneven performance across different categories.
The WEF report estimates that the world closed 69.2 per cent of its gender gap in 2026. No economy has achieved complete gender equality. At the current pace of progress, the world could take around 120 years to achieve full gender parity.
The 2026 rankings therefore offer more than a list of countries. They highlight the gaps that remain across education, employment, health and political participation.
For India, the central challenge lies not only in improving its overall ranking but also in converting its progress in education into greater equality in employment and decision-making.
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