Women’s representation in leadership has continued to rise, yet data indicate that full equality remains distant. The following overview presents statistics on female leadership across multiple areas, from general workforce participation to executive positions. It highlights both areas of progress and persistent disparities.
Each figure is supported by research, providing a data-heavy look at the state of women’s leadership in 2024–2025. This resource serves HR professionals, DEI consultants, business executives, students, and journalists seeking reliable statistics on women’s representation across industries.
10 most interesting statistics about women in leadership
- Women represent 43.4% of the global workforce, yet just 30.6% of leadership positions, showing a persistent global leadership gap.
- 34.7% of U.S. leadership positions are held by women, while they make up about half of the total labor force.
- For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women receive that first promotion — a key bottleneck that prevents women from advancing to senior roles later.
- Representation drops from 48% at the entry level to 29% in the C-suite, showing a massive attrition of women through the leadership pipeline.
- Just 55 out of 500 Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs (~11%), with no growth over the past year.
- Women CEOs last an average of 5 years, compared to 8 years for men.
- Out of the 100 largest companies, just 6 have achieved 50/50 gender parity in senior leadership.
- While women overall hold 33% of board seats, women of color occupy under 8%.
- Women earn 84¢ for every $1 earned by men; Latina women earn 59¢ and Black women 66¢, compared to white men.
- Companies in the top quartile for gender and ethnic diversity are 9% more likely to outperform, and those with gender-diverse boards are 27% more likely to outperform financially.
Statistics on women’s representation in the workforce vs. leadership roles
The global gender gap: Women hold only 30.6% of leadership positions globally, while representing 43.4% of the overall workforce. This indicates that although women make up close to half of the working population, they occupy less than one-third of high-level roles worldwide.
Source: LinkedIn Economic Graph
United States: The U.S. slightly outperforms the global average but still falls short of parity – women are roughly 34.7% of people in leadership positions nationally, despite being about half of the overall labor force. This means about one in three leaders in the U.S. is female.
Source: LinkedIn Economic Graph
Women continue to be underrepresented in leadership compared to their overall presence in the workforce. This imbalance remains evident across the world. In the United States, women hold roughly one-third of leadership positions while men account for about two-thirds. These numbers highlight a continuing disparity in leadership representation despite years of progress toward gender diversity in the workplace.
Women in leadership statistics across industries
Higher-representation sectors: The prevalence of women leaders varies widely by industry. In fields like Healthcare and Social Assistance, nearly 58.5% of senior leadership roles are held by women, and in Education, women comprise about 52.9% of senior leaders, approaching parity. Certain service-oriented sectors (e.g, retail, government, and consumer services) also see women in a sizable share of top positions.
Source: World Economic Forum
Male-dominated sectors: Women remain significantly underrepresented in industries such as Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Energy. Only 23.3% of leaders in Manufacturing are women. The figures drop further in Supply Chain and Transportation, where women hold just 19.0% of leadership roles, and in Oil and Gas, where the percentage is 15.6%. Heavy industries and technology-focused sectors continue to record some of the lowest levels of female leadership.
Source: LinkedIn Economic Graph
This industry breakdown highlights that progress for women in leadership is uneven. Sectors that traditionally attract female talent (education, healthcare) have made strides toward equality at the top, whereas STEM fields and industrial sectors still lag far behind. The contrast suggests that tailored strategies may be needed to boost women’s leadership in male-dominated industries.
Stats on women in the leadership pipeline
Drop-off at higher levels: While entry-level positions in corporate America are near gender parity, the proportion of women declines at each rung of the ladder. Women comprise about 48% of entry-level employees but only 29% of C-suite positions in 2024. In other words, nearly half of junior employees are female, yet women occupy less than a third of the top executive roles.
Source: McKinsey
“Broken Rung” in promotions: A key reason for this gap is that women are less likely to be promoted early in their careers. For every 100 men who receive a first promotion to manager, only 81 women are promoted to manager – a figure that has barely improved from 79 per 100 a few years ago. This broken rung at the manager level means fewer women advance to the roles that feed into senior leadership.
Source: McKinsey
These pipeline statistics show that women’s representation decreases at each higher leadership level. The largest barrier appears at the first promotion to management. Closing this gap is essential, as fewer women promoted now means fewer in executive positions later. Companies need to reduce bias in promotion practices and offer mentorship and support that prepare women for leadership opportunities.
Statistics on women in executive roles and the C-suite
Senior executives: Women today hold 29% of C-suite positions (executive roles like CEO, CFO, COO, etc.) in corporate America, a significant rise from just 17% in 2015. Despite this improvement, men still occupy around 70% of top executive spots, reflecting a continued leadership imbalance.
Source: McKinsey
Chief executives: At the very top, the gender gap is even wider. Only about 11% of chief executive officers (CEOs) of major U.S. companies are women. Among the Fortune 500 companies, 55 are led by women, which is roughly 11% – a number that has stalled without growth in the last year.
Source: Women Business Collaborative
Key C-Suite pipelines: Women remain scarce in the pipeline to CEO roles. In the largest companies (S&P 100), only 8% of Chief Operating Officers (COOs) are women, and about 20% of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are women. These roles are typical stepping stones to CEO, and women’s underrepresentation here signals a limited bench for the top job.
Source: Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance
Companies at parity: Achieving equal gender representation in leadership is still rare. Out of the top 100 companies, only 6 have a 50/50 gender balance on their senior leadership teams. Virtually no major firm has women in the majority of executive roles.
Source: Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance
Tenure and turnover: Not only are women CEOs few, but they also tend to have shorter tenures – averaging 5 years, compared to 8 years for male CEOs. This disparity suggests higher turnover for women at the top, potentially due to greater scrutiny or weaker support once they attain the chief executive role.
Source: LSE Business Review
The “glass ceiling” continues to limit women’s progress in corporate leadership. Although more women now hold senior executive positions, they are still a small minority among CEOs and top executives. Many of these leaders are concentrated in areas such as HR or legal, while fewer occupy operational or financial positions that typically lead to CEO roles. Only a small number of companies have reached gender balance in leadership, and female CEOs often have shorter tenures. These realities highlight the persistent barriers to achieving equality at the top levels of business.
Data on women on boards of directors
Board representation: Women have made inroads in corporate boardrooms. In the Fortune 500, women now hold 33% of board seats. This is roughly one in three board members, up from around 15% two decades ago, reflecting concerted efforts like board diversity initiatives and gender quotas in some jurisdictions.
Source: Fortune
Diversity on boards: However, board diversity beyond gender remains an issue. Women of color account for less than 8% of Fortune 500 board directors, meaning the vast majority of female-held seats are occupied by white women. In many cases, boards have added one token woman (often white) while other demographics remain nearly absent.
Source: Catalyst
Having one-third of board seats held by women is a milestone, suggesting faster progress at the board level than in executive ranks. Diverse boards are linked to better governance and decision-making, yet the data shows room for improvement – particularly in bringing more women of color onto boards. Continued focus on board diversity will ensure that a broad range of perspectives informs company strategy and oversight.
Data on the gender pay gap in leadership
Overall pay gap: The gender pay gap persists even at high levels of achievement. On average, women are paid 84 cents for every dollar a man earns in the United States (for full-time year-round workers). This gap has barely narrowed in recent years and indicates that women, including those in leadership, earn significantly less than their male counterparts.
Source: Institute for Women’s Policy Research
Intersectional wage gaps: The pay disparity is even more pronounced for women of color. For example, Latina women earn only about 59 cents for every dollar earned by a White non-Hispanic man. Black women earn roughly 66 cents on that dollar. These figures illustrate how race and gender combine to create extra steep pay gaps for minority women in the workforce.
Source: Institute for Women’s Policy Research
In leadership positions, the pay gap can translate into hundreds of thousands less in earnings over a career. Factors such as fewer women in the highest-paying executive roles, differences in industry, and potential bias in compensation all contribute to this divide. Closing the pay gap – through measures like regular pay equity analyses and transparent salary practices – is critical to ensure that female leaders are valued and rewarded on par with men.
Challenges and biases facing women leaders
Higher standards and double binds: Research shows that women leaders are held to higher performance standards and often face harsher judgment than their male peers. They are frequently caught in a “double bind” – expected to be both likable and authoritative. Behaviors that are accepted in male leaders may be criticized in women, meaning female leaders must navigate stereotypes that label them as “too soft” or “too tough” in ways men do not experience.
Source: LSE Business Review
Prevalence of bias: A vast majority of women in senior positions report facing gender-based obstacles. In one survey of women executives at private companies, 100% said they had experienced some form of gender bias. This includes everything from being passed over for opportunities to unequal access to networks, to overt discrimination or harassment.
Source: Cripps
These challenges show that breaking the glass ceiling often comes with added pressure. Women who attain leadership positions face bias, intense scrutiny, and at times, isolation as the only woman in the room. Organizations must address these barriers directly. Standardized evaluations, bias-awareness training for managers, and genuinely inclusive cultures help ensure women leaders are judged fairly and supported to succeed.
Data on the benefits of gender-diverse leadership
Better financial performance: Numerous studies have found a correlation between gender-diverse leadership and stronger business outcomes. For example, companies in the top quartile for both gender and ethnic diversity in executive teams are on average 9% more likely to outperform their peers. Similarly, organizations with at least 30% women in leadership are more likely to outperform those with fewer or no women executives. The consistency of these findings emphasizes that diversity isn’t just about fairness – it’s smart business.
Source: McKinsey, Women’s World Banking
Innovation and governance: Companies with gender-balanced leadership often perform strongly across several areas. They show higher innovation, stronger customer understanding, and better governance. Research also links female leadership to improved employee engagement, higher satisfaction, and wiser risk management. Companies in the top quartile for board-gender diversity are 27% more likely to outperform financially than those in the bottom quartile. These organizations typically gain a stronger reputation for social responsibility. Overall, women in leadership contribute to a more inclusive and well-rounded management approach that delivers measurable competitive benefits.
Source: McKinsey
Empowering women in leadership benefits both individuals and organizations. Companies with diverse leadership teams gain broader perspectives and stronger decision-making, which drives innovation and growth. The clear takeaway is that supporting women’s advancement is both the right choice and a proven strategy for improving performance.
Closing the gender leadership gap
While there has been notable progress in some areas of women’s leadership (more women on boards, gradual increases in C-suite representation), the overall pace of change is frustratingly slow. If current trends continue, gender parity in top corporate positions in the United States may take nearly fifty years. Globally, projections suggest it could take around 134 years for the gender gap to close completely.
These statistics serve as a wake-up call that incremental improvement is not enough. Achieving equality in leadership will require sustained commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives, structural changes (like flexible work and equitable promotion practices), and addressing biases head-on.
While the data may spark debate, it also offers direction. Achieving gender balance in leadership is not only a matter of fairness but a key driver of innovation, stronger decision-making, and sustainable business growth.
