The UK has risen one place to 17th in PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PWC) Women in work index 2026, becoming the top‑ranking G7 country for women’s economic empowerment.
This is the 15th year of PWC’s index. It tracks the progress of women in the workplace across the 33 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries using indicators on pay, participation, unemployment and full‑time employment for women.
Although the UK’s overall index score increased by 0.16 points, the rise was mostly due to declines in other countries’ performance.
The UK’s gender pay gap narrowed slightly, falling from 13.3% to 13.1%, behind the OECD average of 12.4%. Northern Ireland is the only region where the gender pay gap has widened since 2020.
Health conditions remain a key driver affecting 20% of young women, compared with 23.6% of young men. Mental health pressures have risen across both groups.
The full‑time employment rate for women fell by 1.2 percentage points to 67.7%. Female unemployment rose from 3.5% to 4.2%.
The UK’s female participation rate rose from 74.8% to 75%, above the OECD average of 73.1%. The gap between male and female participation narrowed from 7.8% to 6.4%, driven by rising male economic inactivity.
Carol Stubbings, UK and EMEA managing partner at PWC, said: “While the UK has regained its position as the highest‑ranking G7 economy for women in work, the story beneath the headline is more complex. Rising female unemployment, especially among young women, points to underlying weaknesses in our labour market at a time when AI is reshaping the economy and the skills needed. The countries that succeed will be those that invest in strong foundations in education and continued skills development. Employers have a crucial role in creating clear pathways into work and helping their people continue to learn and adapt.”
Alia Qamar, senior economist at PWC UK, added: “This year’s index shows both the scale of progress since 2011 and how fragile that progress has become. Countries performing better than the UK demonstrate what’s achievable and how closing that gap would deliver meaningful gains. Regional disparities remain stark, with London continuing to lag, underscoring how structural pressures shape women’s outcomes and why targeted action is so critical.”
