World Economic Forum has released the results of its recent study on the gender gap, compiling data on 135 different countries.
The U.S. should be ranked close to the top, right? Very wrong: It’s 22nd out of 135–a sad statistic for one of the top global economies. Beaten by 21 countries including Canada (ranked 21st), Luxembourg (17) and Nicaragua (8), the U.S.’s overall ranking has actually worsened over the years in comparison to other countries. In 2011, the U.S. ranked 17th; between 2006 and 2007, its rank sunk from 23rd to 31st, rising to 27th in 2008 only to drop to 31 again in 2009. That’s a lousy trend compared to countries such as Ireland and Denmark: Ireland’s rank has steadily improved, from 10 to five, between 2006 and 2012, while Denmark maintained its eighth place ranking between 2006 and 2007 before rising to its current seventh place position in 2008.
Denmark is also the happiest country on earth, so maybe they know something we don’t.
Don’t worry, though. We’re in good company among other powerful developed countries who don’t treat women well… like China.