International Women’s Day: 5 statistics you need to know
International Women’s Day is a celebration of women’s achievement and raises inequality issues in a call for greater equality for women in the UK and worldwide.
The theme this year is #MakeItHappen, so we’ve collected a range of statistics exploring the changing lives of women – as well as highlighting areas where inequality still exists.
1. There are more women graduates and fewer women with no qualifications in 2014 compared to previous years1 2
The percentage of women with degrees has risen from 19% in 1996 to 40% in 2014. The percentage of women with no qualifications has fallen from 27% in 1996 to 10% in 2014.3
2. The average age of women (at first birth) was 28.3 in 2013
For those women born in 1968, the average number of children they’re likely to have by the end of their assumed childbearing years4 is 1.92.
3. Women are more likely than men to report feeling depressed or anxious. However, they also feel happier and more satisfied with their life than men
22% of women indicated feelings of depression/anxiety for the financial year ending 2013, compared to 15% of men. However, 34% of women said they were very happy yesterday and 28% very satisfied with their lives in the financial year ending 2014 – compared to 31% and 25% of men, respectively.
4. Women are more likely than men to be killed by their partners
Of all homicides in financial year ending 2014, women were killed by their partners in 53% of cases. For men, the figure was 7%.
5. Women have a higher life expectancy than men, but the gap has been narrowing over time
Life expectancy for a baby girl born in 2015 is projected to be 83.8 years, up from 53 years in 1908. Meanwhile, a baby boy’s life expectancy increased from 49 in 1908 to a projected 80.1 in 2015. However, the gap has been narrowing as mortality rates for men have been improving at a faster rate than women.
For more information, please contact: digitalcontent@ons.gov.uk