Numbers Transformed Workplaces, Workplaces Changed the Birth Rate [2026 Gender Equality Index]

2026 Asia Gender Equality Index Survey
Comprehensive Five-Year Review of 13,000 Cases Across 137 Companies
Broader Adoption of Male Parental Leave,
But Female Regular Employee Ratio Remains at 21.9% and Salary at 72% of Male Counterparts

South Korea's total fertility rate, which had fallen to 0.72 in 2023, rebounded for two consecutive years—rising to 0.75 in 2024 and to 0.80 last year. As of June this year, the rate had further increased to 0.88, prompting expectations that it could enter the 0.9 range for the first time in seven years since 2019. What has reopened the door to childbirth, which seemed firmly closed? In search of answers at the workplace, the 'Asia Gender Equality Index' marks its 11th year in 2026. This stems from the belief that when women can grow free of discrimination and companies foster a culture where work and family life coexist, the national challenge of low birth rates can also be addressed.

This year, the index was redesigned to focus its criteria on 'verifiable public disclosures' and 'quality of employment.' Under a system encompassing 19 indicators across five categories—employment, compensation, development, work-life balance, and others—data was verified using business reports as the foundation, supplemented by government statistics, sustainability reports, and supplemental investigative coverage. A complete survey was conducted on five years of data, from 2021 through last year, resulting in over 13,000 pieces of raw data collected. New credibility was added by introducing the 'full-time conversion gender gap' index for comparing the stability of women's employment to men's, and by replacing survey-based managerial data with the 'proportion of women among non-registered executives' based on public disclosures.

This year's survey reviewed 137 companies. The selection included the top 100 corporations—ranked by separate financial statements in terms of revenue after excluding holding companies and public enterprises from among listed domestic firms—and 37 financial institutions spanning banking, securities, insurance, and card companies. Among the 100 largest companies, Amorepacific, newly added this year, took first place by excelling in female board representation and work-life balance achievements. Woori Bank topped the financial sector. This result came from consistency across all areas, building strengths from employment all the way to the boardroom, without relying on a single domain. In contrast, E1 and DB Insurance ranked lowest among the top 100 companies and financial institutions, respectively.

The challenges revealed by the numbers remain significant. The proportion of women in full-time positions at the top 100 companies stands at 21.9%, holding at 'one in five.' The average annual salary for women is about 72% of that for men. Legislative changes doubled the proportion of female outside directors over the past five years, but the ratio of women among non-registered executives—positions often filled through internal promotions—stood at only 6.5%.

Nevertheless, the pace of change is gaining momentum. In the second year since mandatory disclosure of parental leave was implemented, the number of companies where the male parental leave usage rate remained in the single digits dropped from 60 to 33 in just one year. The median male parental leave rate among the top 100 companies increased from 8.5% to 12%, surpassing double digits for the first time. This demonstrates that the shift is occurring not just among select leading firms, but across large corporations more broadly.

Disclosure has not merely remained a record. Once the numbers were released, companies responded, workplaces changed, and the fertility rate began to react. This is precisely why The Asia Business Daily has been documenting corporate data for 11 years. There is a belief that transparent data transforms the workplace, and changes in the workplace provide solutions to low birth rates. The Asia Gender Equality Index aims to serve both as a measure and as a catalyst for these changes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.