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The 20 Best Countries for Women – the U.S. Isn’t One of Them

Originally published by Morgan Smith for CNBC

No country has yet achieved full equality between men and women — but some countries are doing a better job of closing the gender gap than others.

That’s according to a new report from the World Economic Forum, which estimates that global gender inequality will persist until at least 2154.

The Global Gender Gap Report, now in its 17th year, compares countries’ gender gaps across four dimensions: economic opportunities; educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment.

Iceland ranked at the top of the WEF’s list for the 14th consecutive year, followed by Norway, Finland, New Zealand and Sweden. 

Here are the 20 best countries for women, according to the WEF’s report:

  1. Iceland
  2. Norway
  3. Finland
  4. New Zealand
  5. Sweden
  6. Germany
  7. Nicaragua
  8. Namibia
  9. Lithuania
  10. Belgium
  11. Ireland
  12. Rwanda
  13. Latvia
  14. Costa Rica
  15. United Kingdom
  16. Philippines
  17. Albania
  18. Spain
  19. The Republic of Moldova
  20. South Africa

The U.S. ranked 43rd out of 146 countries, compared to 27th in 2022. 

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