An annual report on the gender gap has again placed Nordic countries in the top rankings while Japan has dropped to its lowest level ever.
The World Economic Forum survey covered 153 countries. The Swiss institute analyzes the gap between the sexes every year based on data from four key areas — politics, economics, education, and health.
Nordic countries dominated the top of the table. Iceland was ranked first, and Norway, second. Finland, where 34-year-old Sanna Marin was elected prime minister earlier this month, came in third, followed by Sweden in fourth place.
Japan was 121st, marking a drop of 11 notches from last year. The decline was attributed to the low representation of women in politics and corporate management. Japanese female lawmakers make up about 10 percent of the Lower House and about five percent of the Cabinet, compared to the global averages of more than 20 percent respectively.
◆notch 段階、順位 （述べられた順に）
◆respectively それぞれ、めいめいに