UK fifth in pay gap progress

British companies overall rank fifth in the world for progress towards gender equality, a new global survey has found after studying 3,787 large companies with more than 102 million employees overall.

Gender equality data provider Equileap used 19 criteria to measure gender equality at each level of seniority, as well as looking at pay gaps and policies. It found the average score overall had improved from 35% in 2021 to 41% in 2023, with UK companies at 52% placing fifth below top-ranked France at 55% and above the USA at 40%.

According to Equileap founder and CEO Diana Van Maasdijk: “The number of companies globally that have closed the gender pay gap is pathetically low, accounting for less than 1%. Yet 12 of the 28 that have managed to do so are British.”

The improvement was largely down to the UK’s mandatory law on reporting gender pay gaps in companies of over 250 employees, added Van Maasdijk. UK companies that have closed the gap include Tate & Lyle, the National Grid, and Rolls-Royce.