Ireland saw the biggest improvement in PwC's Women in Work Index for 2026 - mainly driven by a decrease in the gender pay gap here.
Ireland rose six places to 11th position this year among 33 OECD countries in PwC's latest Women in Work Index.
PwC's 2026 Women in Work Index, now in its 15th year, tracks the progress of women in the workplace across 33 OECD countries. It uses five indicators covering pay, participation, unemployment and full‑time employment for women.
It said that progress across the OECD this year has slowed to its weakest level since the pandemic, driven by a historic fall in full‑time employment for women and rising unemployment rates.
Iceland continues to lead the OECD rankings, followed by Luxembourg, New Zealand, Sweden and Slovenia.
The UK ranks in the middle at 17th out of 33 countries, while Australia has moved up to 10th place from 19th in 2020.
PwC noted that countries at the top feature supportive parental leave and childcare policies. These policies enable women to remain in the workforce, improving progression opportunities.
It said the main driver for Ireland's improved performance this year is a gender pay gap improvement.
The gender pay gap here, which is calculated using Eurostat data measuring the gap between median female income and median male income, narrowed significantly and fell from 11.8% to 8%.
The Irish rate is ahead of the OECD average of 12.4%, and indicates faster movement toward pay equality compared to peer economies.
Gerard McDonough, Partner, PwC Workforce Advisory practice, PwC Ireland, said that Ireland performed well in this latest PwC Women in Work Index rankings and reflects a positive movement in the gender pay gap.
"It should be noted that the narrowing of the gender pay gap for Ireland in the report, determined by Eurostat data, reflects a similar trend as that in Ireland's Central Statistics Office report," he said.
"Improvements in the gender pay gap enhance the organisation all-round, creating a fair and inclusive workplace where everyone thrives," he said.
"This in turn can boost a company's attractiveness to talent, improve morale, productivity and retention and ensure that diverse viewpoints are factored into decision making across all levels in the organisation," he added.
