The Philippines ranks best in Southeast Asia on the Global Gender Gap Index — and still posts the lowest female labour-force participation among its peers.
Dual story: GGG 0.781 (rank 20) vs female LFPR 50.5%. Don’t average GII and GGG. Myanmar’s WEF entry is an intentional gap. Secondary school GPI is 1.077 (2021).
What the comparison shows
A strong composite gender-parity result can coexist with weak female labour-force participation. The Philippines illustrates that distinction: its WEF position captures more dimensions than participation in paid work or job seeking. The participation gap adds a comparison between women and men that the female rate alone cannot provide.
Key findings from this pack
- The Philippines leads the published SEA-11 WEF scores while female participation is lowest among its four peers.
- The Philippine participation gap is wider than Thailand’s and Vietnam’s, but narrower than Malaysia’s and Indonesia’s.
- GII inequality and WEF gender parity measure different constructs with opposite directions.
- Myanmar’s WEF entry is a gap; older parliamentary and enrolment observations retain their years.
The evidence: Philippines and peers
Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Values retain their individual years; missing observations are shown as —.
| Indicator / unit | Philippines | Malaysia | Thailand | Vietnam | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female labour-force participation% of female population aged 15+ | 50.52025 | 51.62025 | 592025 | 68.62025 | 53.72025 |
| Labour-force participation gapPercentage points · male minus female | 222025 | 27.62025 | 162025 | 8.82025 | 28.62025 |
| Women in parliament% of parliamentary seats | 28.32025 | 13.52025 | 19.62025 | 31.42025 | 21.92025 |
| UNDP Gender Inequality IndexIndex 0–1 · higher = more inequality | 0.3512023 | 0.1722023 | 0.2882023 | 0.2992023 | 0.4232023 |
| WEF Global Gender Gap IndexIndex 0–1 · higher = more parity | 0.7812025 | 0.6812025 | 0.7282025 | 0.7132025 | 0.6922025 |
| Male labour-force participation% of male population aged 15+ | 72.52025 | 79.22025 | 752025 | 77.32025 | 82.32025 |
| Secondary enrolment gender parityFemale/male gross enrolment ratio · 1 = parity | 1.0772021 | 1.0562021 | 1.0592022 | 0.9412022 | 1.0252018 |
| UNDP GII global rankGlobal rank · lower = less inequality | 862023 | 472023 | 732023 | 782023 | 1082023 |
| WEF GGG global rankGlobal rank · 2025 edition | 202025 | 1082025 | 662025 | 742025 | 972025 |
How to interpret the findings
WEF parity and UNDP inequality indices have different constructions and opposite directions. Averaging them would have no clear meaning. Political representation and enrolment also have their own observation years; the data support a multidimensional profile, not a claim that every gender gap has closed.
Coverage and context
Read row years and coverage notes; missing observations are not zero.
The table is a comparison of observations, not a combined ranking. The topic guide includes the wider SEA-11 coverage, interactive charts and full methodology.
Open gender gaps →All sources and observation years
S1 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S2 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S3 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S4 · UNDP Human Development Report 2025 Statistical Annex Table 5 (GII 2023 values) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S5 · World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2025 · year 2025 / unavailable · as_of 2026-09-06
S6 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S7 · World Bank WDI SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS (UNESCO UIS gender parity index) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S8 · UNDP Human Development Report 2025 Statistical Annex Table 5 (GII 2023 ranks) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S9 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S10 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S11 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S12 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S13 · World Bank WDI SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS (UNESCO UIS gender parity index) · year 2021 · as_of 2026-09-06
S14 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S15 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S16 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S17 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S18 · World Bank WDI SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS (UNESCO UIS gender parity index) · year 2018 · as_of 2026-09-06
S19 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S20 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S21 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S22 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S23 · World Bank WDI SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS (UNESCO UIS gender parity index) · year 2021 · as_of 2026-09-06
S24 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S25 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S26 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S27 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S28 · World Bank WDI SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS (UNESCO UIS gender parity index) · year 2021 · as_of 2026-09-06
S29 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S30 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S31 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2021 · as_of 2026-09-06
S32 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S33 · World Bank WDI SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS (UNESCO UIS gender parity index) · year 2018 · as_of 2026-09-06
S34 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S35 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S36 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S37 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S38 · World Bank WDI SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS (UNESCO UIS gender parity index) · year 2021 · as_of 2026-09-06
S39 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S40 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S41 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S42 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S43 · World Bank WDI SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS (UNESCO UIS gender parity index) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
S44 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S45 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S46 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S47 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S48 · World Bank WDI SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS (UNESCO UIS gender parity index) · year 2022 · as_of 2026-09-06
S49 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S50 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S51 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S52 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S53 · Derived from WDI SE.SEC.ENRR.FE / SE.SEC.ENRR.MA (UNESCO UIS) — no SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS series for VNM · year 2022 · as_of 2026-09-06
S54 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S55 · Derived: WDI male LFPR − female LFPR (SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS − SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S56 · World Bank WDI SG.GEN.PARL.ZS (Inter-Parliamentary Union) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S57 · World Bank WDI SL.TLF.CACT.MA.ZS (modeled ILO estimate) · year 2025 · as_of 2026-09-06
S58 · World Bank WDI SE.ENR.SECO.FM.ZS (UNESCO UIS gender parity index) · year 2020 · as_of 2026-09-06
Cite this page
ASEAN in Data (2026). The Philippines ranks best in Southeast Asia on the Global Gender Gap Index — and still posts the lowest female labour-force participation among its peers. /insights/gender-gaps