--- title: "Netherlands Slips to 46th in Global Gender Gap Index" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/netherlands-slips-to-46th-in-global-gender-gap-index" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/netherlands-slips-to-46th-in-global-gender-gap-index" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/netherlands-slips-to-46th-in-global-gender-gap-index.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/netherlands-slips-to-46th-in-global-gender-gap-index" category: "Politics" published: "2026-09-17T13:05:16.095Z" source_reported: "2026-09-17T11:17:41.711Z" updated: "2026-09-17T13:05:16.095Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-17T13:00:24.297255+00:00" --- # Netherlands Slips to 46th in Global Gender Gap Index *The country dropped three places, continuing a decline from previous years.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to the World Economic Forum and the University of Amsterdam, with one full report. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports provide details, while digests offer limited information on other outlets. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines and digests use phrases like 'slips again' and 'widening gap' without substantial elaboration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The Netherlands has fallen to 46th place out of 145 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index. - This represents a drop of three places from the previous year, when the Netherlands was ranked 43rd. - The index measures gender disparities across economic participation, education, health, and political influence. - The Netherlands has closed 75% of its gender gap, a decrease of 0.6 percentage points from the prior year. The Netherlands has fallen to 46th place out of 145 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index. The country dropped three places from the previous year, when it was ranked 43rd. This follows a 15-place drop in the year before that. The index measures the gap between men and women across four areas: economic participation, education, health, and political influence. According to the University of Amsterdam team that compiled the Dutch data, the Netherlands has closed 75% of its gender gap. This figure is a decrease of 0.6 percentage points from the previous year. While the gaps in education and health have been closed entirely, and the economic score has slightly improved, neighbouring countries are advancing more rapidly. The primary factor contributing to the Netherlands' lower ranking is politics, specifically the share of women in parliament, which rose slightly, while the number of women ministers fell. The country has never had a female prime minister. ## Disagreement on previous year's ranking Dutch News and NL Times report that the Netherlands was in 43rd place last year. Reformatorisch Dagblad states that last year the Netherlands climbed from 28th place. NOS reports that last year the Netherlands was in 43rd place. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated reports mentioned the Netherlands' specific ranking in the political empowerment category, which NL Times reported as 38th with a 33% closed gap. The right-rated reports did not mention the specific percentage of the gender gap closed (75%) or the decrease of 0.6 percentage points from the previous year. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 33% (2) - Right: 67% (4) 5 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-17T13:00:24.297255+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-17T13:15:57.476Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - Both centre-rated reports led with the Netherlands' fall to 46th place in the Global Gender Gap Index. Dutch News and NL Times both reported that the country dropped three places from 43rd the previous year, and that this followed a 15-place drop. Both outlets mentioned that the Netherlands has closed 75% of its gender gap, with Dutch News noting a 0.6 percentage point decrease from last year. They also both cited Henk Volberda, a professor at the University of Amsterdam, who commented that the Netherlands lags behind neighbouring countries. Dutch News quoted Volberda saying, “I thought we had hit rock bottom last year,” and highlighted politics as the main drag, noting a slight rise in women in parliament but a fall in women ministers. NL Times also mentioned the political empowerment score as the lowest, with the gap only 33% closed, and ranked the Netherlands 38th in this category. Both reports listed Iceland, Finland, Norway, Namibia, and the UK as the top-ranking countries. ### Right - The right-rated reports focused on the Netherlands' continued decline in the Global Gender Gap Index. BNR Nieuwsradio described the 46th place ranking as 'shameful' and noted the three-place drop from the previous year, which itself followed a fifteen-place fall. Dagelijksestandaard.nl, Nieuws.nl, and Welingelichtekringen.nl all used the headline 'The Gap Between Men and Women Is Widening' and reported the Netherlands slipping down the rankings. Reformatorisch Dagblad reported that State Secretary Judith Tielen is 'not happy' about the declining figures and mentioned the drop from 43rd to 46th place, adding that the Netherlands had climbed from 28th place last year. NOS reported the drop to 46th place from 43rd, noting that the country also dropped fifteen places last year and that the emancipation of women has virtually come to a standstill. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 4 - unknown: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Reformatorisch Dagblad](https://rd.nl/a/tielen-niet-blij-met-dalende-emancipatiecijfers) — Tielen ‘Not Happy’ with Declining Emancipation Figures - [tpo.nl](https://tpo.nl/2026/09/17/nederland-plek-46-global-gender-gap) — Gender Equality: The Netherlands Slips Further to 46th Place - [geenstijl.nl](https://geenstijl.nl/5191981/gendergelijkheid) — GeenStijl: 'NL Drops Further on WEF Gender Equality Ranking, Ranks #46 Below LIBERIA' - [Dutch News](https://dutchnews.nl/2026/09/netherlands-slips-again-in-global-gender-equality-ranking) — Netherlands slips again in global gender equality ranking - DutchNews.nl - [NL Times](https://nltimes.nl/2026/09/17/netherlands-drops-46th-place-global-gender-gap-index) — Netherlands drops to 46th place on Global Gender Gap Index - [gelderlander.nl](https://gelderlander.nl/binnenland/nederland-zakt-weer-op-ranglijst-gendergelijkheid-in-dit-tempo-is-de-kloof-tussen-man-en-vrouw-pas-in-2146-gedicht~a26ea44a) — The Netherlands Drops Again in the Gender Equality Ranking: ‘At This Rate, the Gap Between Men and Women Will Not Be Closed Until 2146.’ - [Nieuws.nl](https://nieuws.nl/algemeen/kloof-tussen-mannen-en-vrouwen-wordt-steeds-groter) — The Gap Between Men and Women Is Widening. - [welingelichtekringen.nl](https://welingelichtekringen.nl/samenleving/kloof-tussen-mannen-en-vrouwen-wordt-steeds-groter) — The Gap Between Men and Women Is Widening. - [dagelijksestandaard.nl](https://dagelijksestandaard.nl/nieuws/kloof-tussen-mannen-en-vrouwen-wordt-steeds-groter) — The Gap Between Men and Women Is Widening. - [BNR Nieuwsradio](https://bnr.nl/nieuws/nieuws-politiek/10610516/nederland-zakt-opnieuw-op-ranglijst-gendergelijkheid-plek-46-is-beschamend) — The Netherlands Drops Again in Gender Equality Ranking: ‘46th Place Is Shameful’ - [NOS](https://nos.nl/artikel/2631322-nederland-zakt-verder-weg-op-wereldwijde-ranglijst-voor-gendergelijkheid) — The Netherlands Slips Further Down the Global Ranking for Gender Equality ## Questions **What is the Netherlands' ranking in the Global Gender Gap Index?** The Netherlands has fallen to 46th place out of 145 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index. This is a drop of three places from the previous year. **How has the Netherlands' gender gap changed?** The Netherlands has closed 75% of its gender gap, which is a decrease of 0.6 percentage points from last year. While education and health gaps are closed, progress in economic participation and political influence is slower than in other countries. **Which countries rank higher than the Netherlands?** Iceland tops the ranking, followed by Finland, Norway, Namibia, and the United Kingdom. Germany ranks ninth and Belgium 33rd. The Netherlands is ranked 46th, placing it below countries like Liberia according to one unrated report. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/netherlands-slips-to-46th-in-global-gender-gap-index. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Netherlands Slips to 46th in Global Gender Gap Index", https://mediabias.news/politics/netherlands-slips-to-46th-in-global-gender-gap-index