Sweden Maintains Top Spot in EU Gender Equality but Faces Emerging Challenges

According to the 2025 report from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), Sweden remains the leading country in the EU for gender equality, achieving the highest score of 73.7 out of 100. This score marks a significant improvement, rising 4.2 points since 2015 and 1.4 points from 2020. However, full gender equality across the EU is still projected to take another 50 years.

Despite its leading position, Sweden faces notable challenges. There has been a slight decline of 0.8 points in women’s political power representation since 2020, signaling areas where progress has stalled or reversed. Additionally, ongoing issues such as violence against women and the unequal distribution of unpaid care work remain persistent barriers. Women in Sweden spend considerably more time on childcare and household chores—42% of women care for children under 12 for over five hours weekly, compared to 23% of men.

Other EU nations like Malta, Ireland, and Lithuania are closing the gap by improving labor market conditions and political representation, areas where Sweden historically excelled. In education, while women dominate fields such as health and humanities, their presence in STEM remains underrepresented, though it has increased by four percentage points since 2015.

Annika Karlsson Hillve, Chief of Staff at the Swedish Gender Equality Agency, acknowledges Sweden's strong ranking but emphasizes the need for continued efforts to address these challenges to maintain leadership in gender equality.