Mauritania. Mauritania is perhaps the least feminist country in the world in terms of legal policies and precedents. Although the minimum age of marriage in the country is 18, the law allows minors to be contracted into marriage if their guardian deems it is in their best interest.
The 10 countries with the worst GII scores are, in descending order, Guinea, Mali, Haiti, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Afghanistan, Chad, Somalia, Nigeria, and Yemen, which is ranked last among countries with available data.
The lowest three countries were Afghanistan, Yemen, and the Central African Republic, with Afghanistan receiving a score of 0.286. There was again wide disparities between the scores for the three dimensions within many countries, showing that all countries have room for improvement.
The Global Gender Gap Index
From a global perspective, Iceland is considered the most gender equal country. Dominating this list are the Nordic countries: Norway, Finland, New Zealand, and Sweden rank in the top 5.
In a recent analysis, Forbes combined the results of eight different datasets to argue that Iceland is the most feminist and gender-equal country in the world.
Leading the list is Hong Kong, where women make up 54.9% of the population. Moldova (54.0%), Macao (53.9%), and Latvia (53.7%) follow closely behind.
The Top 10 Safest Countries for Women (WPS 2023/24)
Iceland has once more been crowned as the most gender-equal country in the world. This is according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2025, released earlier this month.
The World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Report has seen Australia rise 11 places in the global rankings to 13th out of 148 countries for gender equality, the highest ever ranking since the Index began in 2006.
Which countries have the highest income inequality? South Africa has the highest levels of income inequality in the world. The top 10 percent earn 66 percent of total income, while the bottom half receives only 6 percent.
Feminists argue that early Islam represented more egalitarian ideals, while conservatives argue that gender asymmetries are "divinely ordained". Islamic feminists are Muslims who interpret the Quran and Hadith in an egalitarian manner and advocate for women's rights and equality in the public and personal sphere.
It's a tie — Syria and Afghanistan. Those two countries are the worst places to be a woman, according to the 2018 Women, Peace and Security Index, put together by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Peace Research Institute of Oslo.
In northern Sweden, the city of Umeå has built a reputation as one of the world's most feminist cities. Despite long winters with little sunlight, women here report feeling significantly safer at night than the national and European averages.
The 2024 GPI indicates Iceland, Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Slovenia, Malaysia and Canada to be the most peaceful countries, while Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Congo, Russia, Syria, Israel and Mali to be the least peaceful.
Australia on the whole is safe for solo travelers, including women backpacking alone. In the dead of night, the streets are emptier than you might find in party destinations like Barcelona, so solo females should be very aware when walking alone at night.
Iceland. Ranked number one since 2008, Iceland remains the world's most peaceful nation, leading across all three domains: safety and security, ongoing conflict and militarisation. It even recorded a 2% improvement this year, widening the gap from the second-place country on the list.
According to the groundbreaking books, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, researcher Alfred Kinsey posited that men and women have sexual peaks at different phases of life. His research suggests that women reach their sexual peak in their 30s whereas men peak in their late teens.
The majority of White men reported a preference for Latino (63 %) or Black (53 %) partners, while Asian men most frequently reported a preference for White partners (57 %). Latino men most often reported a race-based preference compared to all other races (ORs: ranged from 2.2–4.2; all p < 0.01).
Best Countries Rankings
Latvia's Gender Imbalance: When Women Outnumber Men📊 Latvia faces one of the world's most striking gender gaps, with women making up around 53-54% of the population. That's roughly 86-87 men for every 100 women, creating a visible “man shortage,” especially among older age groups.
RWANDA: The Only Country in the World Where Dominated by Women. Women have made significant advances in politics over the past few decades, with females having served as the head of state in many prominent countries, including Britain, India, Germany, Pakistan, and others.
The number of men and women in the world is roughly equal, though men hold a slight lead with 102 men for 100 women (in 2020). More precisely, out of 1,000 people, 504 are men (50.4%) and 496 are women (49.6%).