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The gender gap in UK academic economics 1996-2018: progress, stagnation and retreat

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  • Bateman, Victoria
  • Hengel, Erin

Abstract

This article reports on women’s representation in UK economics over the last quarter century. While progress has been made, women in 2018 were only 32 percent of economics undergraduate students and 26 percent of academic economists. Our data also suggest several areas of stagnation and retreat. First, the percentage of female UK nationals studying economics is low and falling over time. Second, female economists are substantially more likely to be employed at lower academic ranks and in fixed-term—and generally lower status—teaching- and research-only positions. Third, the representation of women is especially low among ethnic minorities studying for an economics PhD. And finally, the percentage of economics professors with Asian ethnicity who are women has been falling over time, and at no point between 2012-2018 was a Black female professor of economics employed anywhere in the UK.

Suggested Citation

  • Bateman, Victoria & Hengel, Erin, 2023. "The gender gap in UK academic economics 1996-2018: progress, stagnation and retreat," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118205, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:118205
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/118205/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jana Schuetz & Virginia Sondergeld & Insa Weilage, 2024. "The Women in Economics Index - Monitoring Women Economists' Representation in Leadership Positions," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 2076, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender; diversity; labour market equality; women in the economics profession; gender gap;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations
    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists

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