Gender Balance Index 2025: Critical moment
Index scores improve but progress is under threat
OMFIF’s Gender Balance Index 2025 marks a critical point for women in finance, as incremental progress is met with growing resistance to inclusion initiatives. Now in its 12th year, the index tracks senior leadership across 335 global institutions. For the first time, three organisations – Banco Central de Chile, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Norges Bank Investment Management – achieved perfect scores of 100, though they represent just 1% of the total.
Sovereign funds recorded the biggest improvement, driven by progress in emerging markets, while commercial banks rebounded after setbacks in 2024. Overall, the share of female leaders rose to 16%, with small gains across senior roles. But women still hold just 26% of revenue-generating positions – critical for future leadership. Institutions now face a pivotal choice: ease off or commit further to advancing gender balance.
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Key findings:
- Three institutions achieved a perfect score of 100 for the first time – a milestone for the index.
- Sovereign funds doubled their average score from 19 in 2021 to 38 in 2025, led by emerging markets.
- Pension funds remain the top-performing group but have plateaued, with fewer female CEOs than in 2024.
- Female leadership across all institutions reached a record 16%, though progress remains slow.
- Women hold just 26% of revenue-generating roles – the main pipeline to CEO positions.
- The share of women in C-suite positions across all commercial banks rose to 19% after falling to 15% last year.
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