UK ranks among top countries for women in business, analysis reveals

The UK placed third overall among the countries leading the way for women in business, research from iSelect has revealed.

The global Women in Business Index highlighted where female entrepreneurship, representation and business ownership are strongest, as more women step into leadership roles worldwide.

However, progress remains gradual.

Data from Grant Thornton found that women held 32.4% of senior management roles in 2023, rising only slightly to 33.5% in 2024.

According to the index, New Zealand ranked first, supported by a high gender gap score of 0.827 and 58.2% of firms reporting female ownership.

Moldova followed in second place, driven by strong female self-employment at 59.5%, while the UK secured third place with a gender gap score of 0.838 and 47.1% of firms reporting female ownership.

The UK also recorded one of the highest rates of new business creation, with 18.6 new businesses per 1,000 residents.

However, female self-employment remained relatively low at 9.9%.

Other high-ranking countries included the Philippines, Spain, Finland and Sweden, each demonstrating varying strengths across ownership, entrepreneurship and gender equality metrics.

The research also found that some of the highest levels of female entrepreneurship are concentrated in developing economies.

Countries such as Burkina Faso, Burundi and India reported the highest rates of female self-employment, reflecting a trend towards independent work, often driven by necessity rather than opportunity.

Despite these gains, the study highlighted persistent gaps in leadership representation.

Countries including Bangladesh and Türkiye reported some of the lowest levels of women in top management roles, while cultural perceptions continue to influence opportunities for women in business globally.

The findings also revealed that strong gender equality scores do not always translate into higher levels of female entrepreneurship.

Norway, for example, recorded one of the highest gender gap scores but had relatively low levels of female self-employment.