GENEVA, Switzerland, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Iceland is the most advanced country in the world in gender equality, the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report said Friday.
The report ranks 136 countries on their abilities to close the gender gap in four key areas -- economic participation and opportunity, political empowerment, health and survival, and educational attainment.
Iceland was ranked No. 1 for the fifth year in a row, with Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Philippines coming in second through fifth, respectively, the report said.
Of the 133 countries measured in both 2012 and 2013, 86 improved their gender gap in 2013.
At the global level, 96 percent of the health and survival gender gap was closed. The gender gap is 93 percent closed in terms of education, 60 percent in economic equality and 21 percent in political participation.
Twenty-five closed the economic gender gap completely, the World Economic Forum said.
Germany was the highest-ranked G20 country at 14th, falling by one place from 2012. Britain stayed the same at 18th, Canada moved up a spot to 20th and the United States fell a spot to 23rd. Russia ranked 61st, China 69th and India 101st. The lowest ranking countries were Chad at 134th, Pakistan at 135th and Yemen at 136th.
