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Women's legal equality: childcare
What this indicator measures
This score from 0 to 100 looks at whether the law organizes childcare services: nurseries, quality standards, support for families and for private providers. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual enforcement or uncodified customs).
How to read this?
The closer the score is to 100, the more complete the legal framework for childcare is.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
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186countries with data
100 /100maximum · Australia
50 /100median
0 /100minimum · Zimbabwe
2025data year(s)
In brief
The "Women's legal equality: childcare" ranking covers 186 countries and territories. Lowest value: Zimbabwe (0 /100). Highest value: Australia (100 /100). Median: 50 /100 (data: 2025). The top 10% of countries exceed 100 /100, while the bottom 10% stay below 0 /100. By continent, the median is highest in Europe (100 /100) and lowest in Oceania (0 /100).
Median by continent
- Europe 100 /100 (40)
- South America 66.8 /100 (12)
- Asia 50 /100 (45)
- North America 41.8 /100 (23)
- Africa 33.3 /100 (51)
- Oceania 0 /100 (12)
Why this indicator matters
How childcare is organized influences the ability of parents, and often mothers, to work. This score compares the place the law gives to these services.
What makes this indicator vary
The legal framework depends on family policies, the division of roles between the state, companies and families, and public resources. It changes with reforms on early childhood and work.
Reading precautions
The score from 0 to 100 describes written laws, not the number of places actually available or their cost. A complete legal framework does not guarantee actual access. The data follow the edition of the survey indicated.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇦🇺 Australia | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇦🇹 Austria | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇨🇦 Canada | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇨🇱 Chile | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇨🇳 China | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇩🇪 Germany | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇪🇸 Spain | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇫🇮 Finland | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇬🇷 Greece | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇮🇱 Israel | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇮🇹 Italy | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇯🇵 Japan | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇳🇴 Norway | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇵🇦 Panama | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇵🇪 Peru | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇵🇱 Poland | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇷🇴 Romania | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇷🇺 Russia | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇺🇸 United States | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇫🇷 France | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 91.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 58e | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 83.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇦🇴 Angola | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 59e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 66.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 66.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 66.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 66.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 66.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 66.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 66.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 66.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 72e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 66.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 81e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 58.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 81e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 58.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 81e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 58.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 81e | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 58.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 81e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 58.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇱🇦 Laos | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇴🇲 Oman | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇸🇾 Syria | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 86e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇬🇩 Grenada | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇮🇷 Iran | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇹🇬 Togo | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 99e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 41.8 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇧🇯 Benin | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇧🇿 Belize | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇹🇩 Chad | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 119e | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 33.3 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇮🇳 India | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇰🇳 St. Kitts & Nevis | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇵🇼 Palau | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 133e | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇫🇲 Micronesia | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇱🇾 Libya | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇲🇱 Mali | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇳🇪 Niger | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 147e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 0 /100 | 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Women's legal equality: childcare"?
The highest value is in Australia, at 100 /100 (2025).
Which country has the lowest value for "Women's legal equality: childcare"?
The lowest value is in Zimbabwe, at 0 /100 (2025).
What is the world median value of "Women's legal equality: childcare"?
The world median is 50 /100, calculated across 186 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
What is the value of "Women's legal equality: childcare" for France?
France scores 91.8 /100 (2025), ranking 43 out of 186 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Women's legal equality: childcare" data come from?
It comes from Banque mondiale – Women, Business and the Law (WBL 2.0). Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
How should this score be read?
The score runs from zero to one hundred. The closer it is to the maximum, the more the law organizes childcare: services, quality standards, support for families and for private providers.
Does the score measure the number of nursery places?
No. It examines what the law provides, not the actual supply. Two countries with the same score may offer very different access depending on resources and implementation.
Source and update
Source : Banque mondiale – Women, Business and the Law (WBL 2.0). Site last updated: November 8, 2026.
Indicators in the same category : Women's Legal Equality (Indices)
- Legal protection of women against violenceThis score from 0 to 100 looks at whether the law addresses domestic violence, sexual harassment, femicide and child marriage. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes the written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual enforcement or uncodified customs).
- Women's legal equality: access to employmentThis score from 0 to 100 looks at whether the law allows women to get a job like men, prohibits discrimination in hiring and at work, and allows requests for flexible work. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes the written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual application or uncodified customs).
- Women's legal equality: property and inheritanceThis score from 0 to 100 looks at whether the law gives women the same rights as men over immovable property, inheritance (daughters and surviving wives) and the value of unpaid work in a divorce. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual enforcement or uncodified customs).
- Women's legal equality: parental leave and pregnancyThis score from 0 to 100 looks at what the law provides around childbirth: paid maternity and paternity leave, coverage of benefits by the state and the prohibition of dismissing a pregnant worker. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes the written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual enforcement or uncodified customs).
- Women's legal equality: entrepreneurshipThis score from 0 to 100 looks at whether the law allows women to start a business on the same terms as men, prohibits discrimination in access to credit, provides for gender-sensitive public procurement and sets a quota of women on boards of directors. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes the written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual enforcement or uncodified customs).
- Women's legal equality: overall indexThis index sums up, from 0 to 100, how far written laws give women the same economic rights as men. It is the average of ten thematic scores: safety, mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, childcare, entrepreneurship, assets and pension. Data from the 2026 edition of "Women, Business and the Law", which describes written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual enforcement or uncodified customs).
- Women's legal equality: marriageThis score from 0 to 100 looks at whether the law gives women the same rights as men in marriage: being head of household, not having to obey one's husband, divorcing and remarrying. Data from the 2026 edition of "Women, Business and the Law", which describes written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual enforcement or uncodified customs).
- Women's legal equality: mobilityThis score from 0 to 100 looks at whether the law allows women to choose where to live, to leave the marital home, to travel abroad and to pass on their nationality to their spouse and children, just like men. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes the written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual application or uncodified customs).
- Women's legal equality: retirementThis score from 0 to 100 looks at whether the retirement age and the mandatory retirement age are the same for women and men, whether survivor's pensions are equal and whether periods spent caring for children count towards the pension. Data from the 2026 edition of “Women, Business and the Law”, which describes the written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual application or uncodified customs).
- Women's legal equality: pay and occupationsThis score from 0 to 100 looks at whether the law requires equal pay for work of equal value and whether women can work in the same jobs as men (night work, jobs considered dangerous, economic sectors). Data from the 2026 edition of "Women, Business and the Law", which describes written laws in force on 1 October 2025 (not their actual enforcement or uncodified customs).