Board Diversity Gaps 2022

Diligent Institute and 22 other partner organizations provide in-depth insights into how diversity is progressing on boards worldwide.

Key findings

What does the boardroom diversity picture look like around the world?

27%

of board seats in our global sample of public companies are held by women. 

46%

of newly appointed directors brought new skillset backgrounds to the boardroom. 

22%

of boards seats in the S&P 500 are held by a racial/ethnic minority director.

0.5%

of board seats in the Fortune 500 are held by a director who openly identifies as  LGBTQ+

ESG

About the report

The first-of-its-kind report offers a more comprehensive view of boardroom diversity and composition worldwide, providing transparency and accountability to help drive forward boardroom diversity. The research provides visibility into public and private companies, examining multiple dimensions of diversity and inclusion across the Americas, Europe and the UK, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Board Diversity Gaps report

Boardroom diversity in Europe 

About 29% of board seats in the UK and continental Europe are held by female directors. About 86% of board seats are held by local directors.

Boardroom diversity in the Middle East and Africa

Women hold about 16% of board seats in the Middle East and Africa. Other elements of diversity, such as race and LGBTQ+ status, are not publicly disclosed. 

Boardroom diversity in Australia and Asia

Female directors hold about 30% of board seats in Australia. In Asia, this number is 14%.

Woman looks at building

Featured content

[rt_reading_time postfix=”minute read” postfix_singular=”minute read”]

Blogs

Advancing board diversity in Australia

European trends on gender diversity in boardrooms are now taking root in Asia-Pacific

Learn more

[rt_reading_time postfix=”minute read” postfix_singular=”minute read”]

Blogs

A few more good women? Slow progress on gender diversity in the boardroom

Boards are tapping the same small group of women for board seats. 52% of female directors

Learn more

[rt_reading_time postfix=”minute read” postfix_singular=”minute read”]

Inform

A Few Good Women: Gender and Leadership in the Boardroom

Diligent Institute set out to see whether female leadership in the boardroom maintained

Learn more

Contacting Diligent Institute

Want to learn more?

Subscribe to Diligent Institute to hear more about our research, education programs and events. Contact us to answer any questions you have!

women meeting