This year’s edition of the Global Gender Gap Index sees one new entrant to its global top 10 list, as well as recording some notable rank changes. The top spots continue to be held by smaller Western European countries, particularly the Nordics, which occupy the top four positions. In addition, the list includes two countries from the East Asia and the Pacific region, one long-established and one new entrant from the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and one country from the Latin America and the Caribbean region. Compared to the world average, Index leaders tend to perform relatively better on Political Empowerment, with all but two also ranking in the top 10 for this subindex. All but three countries in the overall Index top 10 have now crossed the threshold of closing more than 80% of their overall gender gap—the same as last year. For comparison, five countries exceeded 80% in 2016 and 2015.

Iceland (1) completes a full decade in the Index’s top spot this year, and has closed more than 85% of its overall gender gap. It remains the top performer on the Political Empowerment subindex, despite a widening gender gap in the share of women in parliament. Concurrently, for the second year in a row, Iceland’s performance on Economic Participation and Opportunity slides, due to an increased gender gap in the number of women among legislators, senior officials and managers. More positively, it takes the top spot on the wage equality for similar work indicator. Since the first edition of the Index in 2006, Iceland has continuously remained one of the fastest-improving countries in the world, although it is yet to re-surpass its 2015 high mark.

Norway (2), for the second year in a row, comes in second place, having closed more than 83% of its overall gender gap. It continues a multi-year steady improvement on its gender gap regarding the number of women among legislators, senior officials and managers, but also a continued reversal on its previous improvements in wage equality for similar work. In addition, Norway records a slight increase in the share of women in parliament, moving up one spot on the Political Empowerment subindex to third, globally.

Sweden (3), after losing its long-held fourth place last year, regains two places this year, and now ranks third, having closed more than 82% of its overall gender gap. It maintains a strong position on the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex, due to continued progress on women’s labour force participation, while also making gains on the Political Empowerment subindex, due in part to a narrowing gender gap in women’s share of parliamentary seats. It does relatively less well on the Health and Survival subindex, where it continues to see a small but persistent gender gap in healthy life expectancy.

Finland is fourth this year, having closed more than 82% of its overall gender gap. It records a widening gender gap on Economic Participation and Opportunity, due to a decreasing share of women among legislators, senior officials and managers. However, it is currently the only top-ranked Nordic country with a fully closed gender gap on Educational Attainment.

Nicaragua (5) overtakes Rwanda and rises one place, to fifth. With more than 80% of its overall gender gap closed, it remains the country with the narrowest gender gap in the Latin America and the Caribbean region for the seventh year running. Nicaragua continues to maintain gender parity in ministerial positions and has one of the world’s highest shares of women in parliament, placing the country in second place overall on the Political Empowerment subindex. However, this year it also records a deteriorating performance on the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex, due to a widening gender gap in the share of women among legislators, senior officials and managers.

Rwanda’s (6) steady multi-year climb since entering the Index comes to a halt for the first time, with the country falling two places due to a widening gender gap on the Economic Participation and Opportunity subindex, driven by a fall in women’s estimated earned income, professional and technical workers, and wage equality for similar work. More positively, it maintains its strong performance on Political Empowerment, remaining the country with the highest share of female parliamentarians in the world (61%), and near-parity in ministerial positions. As of this year, Rwanda has closed more than 80% of its gender gap, its second-highest value recorded by the Index.

New Zealand (7) rises two places, to seventh, due to improvements on the Political Empowerment subindex, on which the country enters the top 10 with a continuingly increased share of women in parliament. It also fully closes its Educational Attainment gender gap for the first time since 2015. Overall, the country has closed more than 80% of its gender gap for the first time since the Index began.

The Philippines (8), the second country from the East Asia and the Pacific region in the top 10, also rises two spots, closing just under 80% of its overall gender gap, the highest value for the country ever recorded by the Index. It manages to narrow its Economic Participation and Opportunity gender gap due to increases in wage equality for similar work and women’s estimated earned income. The country’s Health and Survival gender gap remains open for a second year, although its Educational Attainment gender gap remains fully closed.

Ireland (9) slides one spot—a continued fall from last year—closing more than 79% of its overall gender gap. It records a slight gender gap in enrolment in primary education, thereby re-opening its Educational Attainment gender gap for the first time since 2015. However, the country this year also records an improvement in gender parity on women’s estimated earned income.

Rounding out this year’s top performers, Namibia (10) climbs three spots and newly enters the Index’s global top 10 list for the first time—the second country from the Sub-Saharan Africa region to do so, after Rwanda. It has closed nearly 79% of its overall gender gap, an improvement of more than 10% since the first edition of the Index in 2006. This year, Namibia sees significant advances in women’s share of parliamentary seats, where it ranks fifth globally. Further, its Health and Survival gender gap has remained fully closed since 2013.