CHINA GENDER LANDSCAPE
Color Key
This briefing showcases the gender landscape in China on key indicators Improvement
helpful for monitoring gender equality and designing effective policy Deterioration
interventions. Gender equality fosters productivity gains, minimizes losses
No Change
in wealth, reduces poverty, boosts shared prosperity, and supports green,
resilient, and inclusive development.
Click the indicators below to explore the World Bank Gender Data Portal. Latest* Comparison
Year Value EAP UMC World
Progress in ending all forms of gender-based violence
Proportion of women subjected to physical and/or sexual violence in the last 12 months (% of ever 2018 8.00 7.93 8.75 NA
partnered women ages 15-49)
Women who were first married by 18 (% of women 20-24) 2020 2.80 NA NA NA
Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women 15-19) 2022 11.1 20.1 27.8 41.9
Stronger and more resilient human capital
Female 2020 99.8 99.1 98.5 91.5
Literacy rate (% ages 15-24)
Male 2020 99.8 99.0 98.6 93.9
Female 2022 78.1 63.9 68.8 44.8
School enrollment, tertiary (% gross)
Male 2022 66.7 55.4 57.4 39.1
Female share of graduates from STEM programs, tertiary (%) NA NA NA NA NA
Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate per 100,000 live births) 2020 23.0 74.0 62.0 223
Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method (% of married women 15-49) 2017 80.5 70.2 71.1 55.7
Female 2020 0.92 NA NA NA
Fraction of children under 5 not stunted
Male 2020 0.92 NA NA NA
Mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease between Female 2019 11.2 12.5 12.8 14.8
ages 30 and 70 (%) Male 2019 20.2 21.2 21.0 21.8
More and better jobs, including jobs of the future
Female 2023 60.5 58.6 54.1 48.7
Labor force participation rate (% 15+)
Male 2023 72.1 73.6 73.3 73.1
Female 2022 54.5 54.8 56.3 53.1
Wage and salaried workers (% of employment)
Male 2022 54.0 56.3 57.0 51.3
Female 2022 18.5 19.5 17.4 25.6
Employment in agriculture (% of employment)
Male 2022 26.0 25.8 23.6 26.9
Female NA NA NA NA NA
Share of youth not in education, employment or training (% of youth population)
Male NA NA NA NA NA
Female 2023 14.2 11.9 18.3 15.4
Youth unemployment (% of labor force 15-24)
Male 2023 16.9 13.3 16.2 13.4
Greater ownership and use of economic assets
Female 2021 87.3 80.7 81.7 71.9
Financial institution account (% 15+)
Male 2021 89.9 83.5 85.7 76.0
Wider access to and use of enabling services
Female 2018 15.3 NA NA NA
Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work (% of 24 hour day)
Male 2018 5.90 NA NA NA
Female 2022 75.2 74.4 75.8 61.6
Individuals using the Internet
Male 2022 76.0 76.8 77.3 67.2
Female 2021 59.3 46.9 49.0 31.8
Used a mobile phone or the internet to pay bills (% 15+)
Male 2021 60.7 49.9 54.0 37.0
Advances in women’s participation in decision-making
Female share of employment in senior and middle management (%) NA NA NA NA NA
Firms with female participation in ownership (% of firms) 2012 64.2 44.2 36.2 33.8
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) 2023 26.5 22.5 27.2 26.7
Proportion of women in ministerial level positions (%) 2022 4.17 14.7 21.0 22.8
*
Latest value shows the latest available value from 2012 onwards. Color coding of the latest country value represents a more than 10 percent change upward
or downward from the country’s baseline value from either 2010 or 2011. No coloring applied whenever there is no data for 2010 or 2011.
Notes: (1) China is part of the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region and an upper middle income country
(UMC) as classified by The World Bank Group. Peer Comparison shows how China performs relative
to its peers in the region, income group, and the world. (2) Data and definitions can be found on the
Gender Data Portal. Data is as of October 13, 2024.
CHINA GENDER LANDSCAPE
A closer look at digital Turning human capital investments into economic gains means addressing barriers
to women‘s economic empowerment, including access to digital and financial
and financial services. Financial inclusion for women has many benefits, including more
inclusion in China influence over their household’s spending priorities, and more resilience to weather
unexpected expenses. Similarly, closing the gender digital divide can facilitate
greater and more equal economic participation. Despite progress, gender gaps
persist in both domains.
DIGITAL
FINANCIAL
LEGAL ENVIRONMENT ACCESS TO CAPITAL
WBL
Entrepreneurship
Score
75 A measure of legal
barriers to women
In China, 81 percent
of firms with a female
starting businesses,
with scores below top manager perceive
100 100 indicating
restrictions on
access to credit,
access to finance
as a constraint.
contracts, banking,
or business
registration.
LEARN MORE
GENDER FINANCIAL INCLUSION DIGITAL INCLUSION
- World Bank Gender Strategy - The Global Findex Database - Using Digital Solutions to Address
2024-2030 - Women Entrepreneurs Finance Barriers to Female Entrepreneurship
- World Bank Gender Data Portal Initiative (We-Fi) - Digital Progress and Trends Report
Sources: All charts show the latest value available as of September 2024 Digital: (1) Gallup World
Poll 2024, (2) International Telecommunication Union. Financial: Global Findex Database. Legal
Environment: Women, Business and the Law (2024) Legal 1.0. Access to Capital: (1) Global Findex
Database. (2) World Bank Enterprise Survey Database, if available.