UK socially regresses while rest of world progresses, study reveals

While the rest of the world is socially progressing, the UK has declined by 0.84 points and is “lacking in political empowerment”, a study has revealed.

The Social Progress Index measures the quality of life in 146 countries, independent of economic indicators, combining 51 social outcome indicators to assign each location a score out of 100 based on provision of human needs, wellbeing and opportunity.

The index showed overall the world had socially progressed by 1.66 points since 2014 but had declined on “personal rights and inclusiveness” by 3.88 points in that time.

Norway has managed to close 83.5 per cent of the gender pay gap – making it the most socially progressive country in the world, scoring 90.26 in the index.

Iceland came in close second, scoring 90.24 for its excellent literacy rate, political empowerment and wage equality, after it became the first country to make the gender pay gap illegal.

Meanwhile, the UK was ranked 12th overall on the Social Progress Index, and 15th for gender equality “scoring highly for educational attainment but lacking in political empowerment”, the study said.

Ireland ranked highest for opportunity, scoring 31.72 points more than the global average, with the country was also recognised for overturning prohibited abortion legislation in May 2018 as an “important breakthrough” in Ireland’s social progression.

The lowest performing country was Chad, scoring 28.2, followed by Afghanistan and Eritrea.

The world’s gender equality parity was 68 per cent according to the report, with the largest global disparity issue being political empowerment as only 17 countries had female leaders, and 24 per cent of global parliamentarians were women.

Glasgow Caledonian University emeritus professor of applied philosophy Hugh McLachlan said there was “no reason to suppose” fair and just treatment would lead to gender equality.

“Individual people, whether they are male, female, both or neither should be treated fairly,” he said.

“However, there is no reason to suppose that such fair and just treatment will lead to gender equalities in the outcomes of such treatment.”

He said “the presence or absence of a gender pay gap” was not a reliable measure of gender equality.

“Similarly, the attempts that organisations might make to reduce these gaps – and, perhaps, to appear virtuous – might not be fair or just,” McLachlan said.

“Some people might be paid too much. Some too little. Given current gender trends in educational attainment, in the future, the gender pay gap for the economy as a whole might well be tilted in favour of women. So be it, I would say if such a gender inequality comes about.”

The study analysed information from the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, the United Nations, the World Health Organisation and Gallup’s World Poll and non-governmental organisations.