ONS Local presents: Findings from the Gender Equality Index UK

ONS Local has been established by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to support evidence-based decision-making at the local level. We aim to host insightful events that connect our users with exciting developments happening in subnational statistics and analysis at the ONS and across other organisations. Caitlin Schmid is a Research Fellow at King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London.

Launched in May 2025, the Gender Equality Index UK (GEIUK) provides the first comprehensive measure of gendered outcomes across all 372 local authorities in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Drawing on data from 2021 to 2023, the index tracks 19 indicators across six domains of life: Paid Work, Unpaid Work, Money, Education, Health, and Power & Participation. The index and interactive data visualisation tool are accessible at genderequalityindex.uk.

The results show that no part of the UK has yet achieved gender parity and that women’s and men’s outcomes vary significantly across locations. A combined analysis of gender and geographic inequalities exposes four distinct patterns of gender equality: in “Prime Parity” areas, such as Kingston upon Thames, high levels of gender equality are matched by strong outcomes for both women and men. In contrast, “Equal Erosion” areas like Blackpool show apparent gender equality, but only because outcomes are similarly poor for everyone. The most common type, “Partial Progress” areas, display moderate gender equality alongside average outcomes for women and men, while “Deep Disparities” areas such as Bradford or Merthyr Tydfil face both wide gender gaps and poor outcomes for all.

Crucially, the data challenge the idea that gender equality is a zero-sum game. The analysis shows that more gender-equal areas tend to have stronger local economies, higher productivity, and better outcomes for both women and men. As such, the GEIUK offers policymakers an improved evidence base for understanding how gender and place interact to inform inclusive strategies that drive social and economic progress across the UK.

This event is open to all; we anticipate it will be of most interest to anyone working on gender equality at the local level in the UK.

If you have any questions, please contact ons.local@ons.gov.uk

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