World view · rights
Global Gender Gap
विश्व लैङ्गिक खाडल
Nepal · 2025
0.648
Rank 125 of 148
Trajectory · 2006–2025
Global Gender Gap
World Economic Forum
Linear extrapolation of the last 5-year trend — illustrative only, not a forecast.
Solid — measured history
Dashed — if current trend continues
Green dotted — reform scenario (1.5× current pace)
Honest caveat: projections are linear extrapolation of the last 5 observed years. Real-world indices change non-linearly with policy shocks, elections, and external events. This tool answers "where would this go if nothing changes?" — it is not a forecast. For real change, see the "what would move this" panel below.
Why Nepal is here
Nepal slipped 8 places in 2025 to rank 125 of 148. The regional story is Bangladesh — it leapt 75 places to rank 24, the largest jump globally, and is now the South Asian leader. Nepal's political-empowerment pillar (33% parliamentary reservation) remains a strength; the binding constraints are economic-participation and educational-attainment sub-pillars, particularly female workforce participation (22.6 pp below male).
The short version
In school, girls and boys are almost equal. But when grown up, men get most jobs and women do most unpaid housework. Nepal slipped to 125th out of 148. Bangladesh is now number 24 — the biggest jump of any country this year.
Inside the score
The headline number breaks down into these sub-scores — these are the levers.
Economic participation
0.434/1
Worst pillar — only 22.6% of women in formal workforce; wage gap ~40%
Educational attainment
0.949/1
Near parity in enrollment; gap narrows fast in younger cohorts
Health & survival
0.97/1
Sex ratio at birth now close to natural; maternal mortality still high but falling
Political empowerment
0.387/1
33% parliament reservation gives Nepal a strong global rank on this pillar
SAARC scoreboard
How Nepal compares to its neighbours on this index, latest year.
What would actually move this
Three concrete actions — each tied to where a comparable country actually moved on this metric.
- 1
Mandatory paid maternity-paternity leave for the formal sector + childcare credit for informal-sector women.
- 2
Crack down on the Rs 18,000+ "secret" demands at women's hospital admissions (citizen reports show this is widespread).
- 3
Equal-inheritance law actually enforced at land-registry counters (the law exists; the practice does not match).
Countries that moved — and how
Real reform episodes from countries roughly our size or context. Each shows that significant movement is possible within a decade.
Rwanda 🇷🇼
0.620 → 0.794 (2006 → 2024)
61% female parliamentarians (highest in world), gender machinery in every ministry, post-genocide constitutional anchor.
Bangladesh 🇧🇩
0.627 → 0.689 (2006 → 2024)
Female garment workforce of 4M+, conditional cash transfers for girls' schooling, female prime ministers for 30+ years.
Nicaragua 🇳🇮
0.657 → 0.811 (2006 → 2024)
Gender-parity electoral law and majority-women cabinet — caveat: gains uneven on civil liberties.
Source · cited verbatim
World Economic Forum — Global Gender Gap, 2025
Open the publisher's releaseAll values on this page are taken directly from this source. Year and confidence level is shown on each card. If you find a discrepancy with the publisher's current dataset, please report it.