The key facts

  • In 2025, women held 30.3% of leadership positions in Germany versus 35.9% on average in the EU (Eurostat/Destatis).
  • About 1.3 million men and 569,100 women worked in management; EU leaders are Sweden (44.4%), Latvia (43.8%), Estonia (43.1%).
  • Over 2015–2025, the share of female managers in Germany grew by 1 p.p. (from 29.3%), in the EU by 4 p.p.; women make up 47.1% of those employed and 42.6% of government members.

Eurostat data: lagging behind the EU average

Women held 30.3% of leadership positions in Germany in 2025, which is noticeably below the EU average of 35.9%. The Eurostat data was published on Monday by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). In management in Germany, about 1.3 million men worked compared with 569,100 women.

Leaders and dynamics over the decade

By the share of women in leadership positions, the leaders are Sweden (44.4%), Latvia (43.8%) and Estonia (43.1%). Over ten years, the share of female managers in Germany grew by only one percentage point — from 29.3% in 2015, while the EU average over the same period increased by four percentage points. The largest growth over the decade was demonstrated by Malta — 13.9 p.p., followed by Estonia (12 p.p.) and Austria (7.5 p.p.).

High female employment with low representation in leadership

The low share of women in leadership in Germany is observed despite high female employment: in 2025, women made up 47.1% of all employed, slightly above the EU average (46.5%).

Representation in government

According to the European Institute for Gender Equality, in the third quarter of 2026 women made up 42.6% of members of the German government, exceeding the EU average of 33.5%. The highest share of women in government among EU countries is in Finland (56.7%), followed by Denmark (52.4%) and Sweden, which has achieved gender parity (50%).