Women Peace and Security Index

The 2023 edition of the global Women Peace and Security Index (WPS Index) scores and ranks 177 countries in terms of women’s inclusion, justice, and security.

No country performs perfectly on the WPS Index and the results reveal wide disparities across countries, regions, and indicators. The WPS Index offers a tool for identifying where resources and accountability are needed most to advance women’s status - which benefits us all.

The WPS Index is published by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the PRIO Centre on Gender, Peace and Security with support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Explore by Country

Hover over a country and click to explore more.

Index Score
0 - 0.43
0.43 - 0.57
0.57 - 0.71
0.71 - 0.86
0.86 - 1

Index Rankings

Highest Ranked

Denmark

Ranking: 1 / 177 Increase
WPS Index Score: 0.932

Switzerland

Ranking: 2 / 177 Increase
WPS Index Score: 0.928

Sweden

Ranking: 3 / 177 Increase
WPS Index Score: 0.926

Finland

Ranking: 4 / 177 Increase
WPS Index Score: 0.924

Luxembourg

Ranking: 4 / 177 Increase
WPS Index Score: 0.924

Iceland

Ranking: 4 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.924

Norway

Ranking: 7 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.92

Austria

Ranking: 8 / 177 Increase
WPS Index Score: 0.911

Netherlands

Ranking: 9 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.908

New Zealand

Ranking: 10 / 177 Increase
WPS Index Score: 0.904

Lowest Ranked

Afghanistan

Ranking: 177 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.286

Yemen

Ranking: 176 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.287

Central African Republic

Ranking: 175 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.378

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ranking: 174 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.384

South Sudan

Ranking: 173 / 177
WPS Index Score: 0.388

Burundi

Ranking: 172 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.394

Syrian Arab Republic

Ranking: 171 / 177
WPS Index Score: 0.407

Eswatini

Ranking: 170 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.415

Somalia

Ranking: 169 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.417

Iraq

Ranking: 168 / 177 Decrease
WPS Index Score: 0.424

What are Our Dimensions and Indicators:

Click on one of three dimensions to explore data or explore the dimensions together.

Going Behind Borders

The WPS Index relies on national averages, which paint a broad picture of women's status across countries. But national averages conceal variation within country borders. This year, we explored the findings of subnational analyses for Colombia and Ethiopia, with subnational index scores that capture how women's inclusion, justice, and security vary by location within each country (33 departments in Colombia and 11 regions in Ethiopia).

Is Women’s Status Improving Over Time?

Check out our latest research brief assessing trends in women’s status over time, as well as a new paper exploring the links between women’s status and countries’ resilience to climate change.

WPS Index Trends Over Time

The WPS Index and the Gender-Climate-Security Nexus

Meet The Index Team

Elena Ortiz

Research Manager and Lead Author

Milorad Kovacevic

Lead Statistician

Michael Gottschalk

Statistician

Siri Aas Rustad

Research Professor and Research Director, PRIO

Lexah Caraluzzi

Research Assistant, GIWPS

Ava Kawamura

Research Assistant, GIWPS

Anna Marie Obermeier

Research Assistant, PRIO

Ziwen Lu

Research Assistant, GIWPS

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