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Women's legal equality: entrepreneurship
What this indicator measures
This 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).
How to read this?
The closer the score is to 100, the more these rules are written into law.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
In brief
The "Women's legal equality: entrepreneurship" ranking covers 186 countries and territories. Lowest value: Eswatini (0 /100). Highest value: Spain (100 /100). Median: 50 /100 (data: 2025). The top 10% of countries exceed 75 /100, while the bottom 10% stay below 25 /100. By continent, the median is highest in Europe (62.5 /100) and lowest in North America (25 /100).
Median by continent
- Europe 62.5 /100 (40)
- South America 50 /100 (12)
- Africa 50 /100 (51)
- Asia 37.5 /100 (45)
- Oceania 25 /100 (12)
- North America 25 /100 (23)
Why this indicator matters
Being able to create and grow a business also depends on the law. This score compares the extent to which rules on credit, public procurement and governance promote equality between women and men in business.
What makes this indicator vary
These rules depend on the history of commercial law, economic reforms and equality policies. Some laws are recent, others old, and reforms happen gradually.
Reading precautions
The World Bank score measures written laws, not their enforcement or uncodified customs. It ranges from 0 to 100 and depends on a few specific criteria. The reference date of the laws may be outdated.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇪🇸 Spain | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 1er | 🇮🇹 Italy | 100 /100 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇦🇹 Austria | 87.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 87.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 87.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇬🇷 Greece | 87.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇮🇱 Israel | 87.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 87.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 87.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 87.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 3e | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 87.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇦🇺 Australia | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇧🇯 Benin | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇨🇦 Canada | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇫🇮 Finland | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇫🇷 France | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇷🇴 Romania | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇹🇬 Togo | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇺🇸 United States | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 12e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 75 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 62.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 62.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 62.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇩🇪 Germany | 62.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 62.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 62.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 62.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 62.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 62.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 43e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 62.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇦🇴 Angola | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇨🇱 Chile | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇯🇵 Japan | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇱🇦 Laos | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇲🇻 Maldives | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇳🇴 Norway | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇵🇪 Peru | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇵🇱 Poland | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 53e | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 50 /100 | 2025 |
| 116e | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 37.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 116e | 🇮🇳 India | 37.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 116e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 37.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 116e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 37.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 116e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 37.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 116e | 🇵🇦 Panama | 37.5 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇧🇿 Belize | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇨🇳 China | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇫🇲 Micronesia | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇬🇩 Grenada | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇮🇷 Iran | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇰🇳 St. Kitts & Nevis | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇱🇾 Libya | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇲🇱 Mali | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇳🇪 Niger | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇴🇲 Oman | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇵🇼 Palau | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇷🇺 Russia | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇸🇾 Syria | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇹🇩 Chad | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 122e | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 25 /100 | 2025 |
| 182e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 182e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 182e | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 182e | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 0 /100 | 2025 |
| 182e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 0 /100 | 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Women's legal equality: entrepreneurship"?
The highest value is in Spain, at 100 /100 (2025).
Which country has the lowest value for "Women's legal equality: entrepreneurship"?
The lowest value is in Eswatini, at 0 /100 (2025).
What is the world median value of "Women's legal equality: entrepreneurship"?
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: entrepreneurship" for France?
France scores 75 /100 (2025), ranking 12 out of 186 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Women's legal equality: entrepreneurship" 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 ranges from zero to one hundred. The closer it is to one hundred, the more the law provides for equality between women and men in starting and growing a business.
What does the score look at?
It examines whether women can start a business on the same terms as men, whether discrimination in access to credit is prohibited, and whether there are gender rules for public procurement and boards of directors.
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: childcareThis 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).
- 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).