The Best—And Worst—Countries for Women, Ranked

Women may run the world, but that can be highly dependent on what part of the world a woman lives in.

Women make up just under 50% of the world's population, according to data collected by the United Nations and the World Bank, but that level can vary depending on the country you live in. Saudi Arabia, for example, only has 39.57% of its population identifying as female, while women make up 53.63% of Russia’s population.

Women's rights can also vary from country to country depending on different factors within each country, with some countries more open to women on issues such as justice, security, and inclusion. These are the best and worst countries for women, based on data analyzed by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.

Northern Europe Stands Out for Women

The top five countries for women can all be found in northern Europe.

Denmark tops the list, followed by Scandinavian countries and their neighbors. The report from Georgetown University found that these countries all had strong scores when it came to measuring inclusion, justice, and security for women.

Women in the countries that scored highest benefited from factors such as high education levels, financial inclusion, workforce participation, legal protections, and political representation. There were also relatively low rates of violence against women in these countries.

Latin American countries made a better showing than in past years, with countries like Costa Rica and Uruguay reaching the top 25% of countries in the Georgetown University survey. But none of them cracked the top 10, leaving the list dominated mainly by Europe.

Here are the 10 countries that rank highest for women's wellbeing:

1. Denmark
2. Iceland
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Finland
6. Luxembourg
7. Belgium
8. Netherlands
9. Austria
10. New Zealand

Conflict Causes Issues for Women

The worst countries for women tend to be countries with political upheaval and armed conflict, which can affect women's rights. In fact, more than 70% of women who are residents of the 12 worst countries are around 30 miles (50 kilometers) or less from armed conflict. These types of conflicts mean women are more likely to be exposed to gender-based violence, injustice, and an increase in issues related to maternal health.

Afghanistan tops Georgetown University's list as the worst country for women when factoring in issues such as justice, security, stability, and inclusion. The country has seen armed conflict in recent years, political struggles, and a reduction in the rights of women. Other countries with notable conflicts that make the list of top 10 worst countries include Syria, Yemen, and Sudan.

The worst countries for women include:

1. Afghanistan
2. Yemen
3. Central African Republic
4. Syria
5. Sudan
6. Haiti
7. Democratic Republic of the Congo
8. Burundi
9. South Sudan
10. Myanmar

Where Do U.S. Women Rank?

The United States ranked 31st out of 181 countries, ranking lower than countries like Serbia and Malta but higher than Czechia and Hungary. North American neighbor Canada ranked 16th on the list, while Mexico ranked 147th.

Countries like the U.S. that rank higher than other nations have policies that support women, such as strong economic opportunities, legal protections, healthcare, and lower levels of violence.

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