According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), gender inequality is the loss in potential human development that occurs due to differences between the genders in achievements with respect to health, empowerment, and labor market participation. These differences in achievements typically favor men. Gender inequality is especially visible in the Arab world. We compare gender inequality in Arab countries with that in non-Arab countries, especially developed countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). We argue that cross-national differences in gender inequality reflect cross-national differences in patriarchy, in particular differences in how men use their power over women to limit their agency or ability to make decisions for themselves. We set out a causal model to account for cross-national variations in gender inequality. Direct causes include fertility rate, per capita income, polygamy, OECD country, and corruption. Gender inequality in Arab countries is highly variable due to large differences in per capita income and is elevated because of polygamy and corruption. Arab countries can enact policies that would reduce gender inequality, especially improvements to women’s secondary and higher education. We analyze gender inequality in the Arab world and address the following questions: Is gender inequality greater in Arab countries? Among countries in the world generally, what differences in patriarchal practices contribute to differences in gender inequality? Where are Arab countries found with respect to such practices? What policies in Arab countries would reduce gender inequality? Our focus is upon cross-national differences in gender inequality, not upon differences in gender inequality within societies.

This statistical file is based on the Population and Development Report 6: Development Policy Implications of Age–Structural Transitions in Arab countries , issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (Beirut, ESCWA, 2014) in the light of the growing demographic challenges facing the Arab countries, resulting from age–structural transitions that affect the process of development, in both the short- and long-terms. The report assumes that the Arab countries are undergoing a shift from high to low rates of mortality and fertility; as a result, some countries have entered a demographic ‘window of opportunity', and several others will soon enter this stage. The ‘window of opportunity' is a period when the working-age population (aged 15–64 years) grows faster than either the population of children (aged 0–14 years) or older persons (aged 65+ years), shifting the balance of the population from high levels of dependency to high levels of potential workers. This shift in age structure in turn creates the potential for Arab countries to benefit from a ‘demographic dividend', namely ‘increased economic productivity, savings, and human capital development' (ESCWA 2014, 3). The report, however, affirms that the ‘demographic dividend' is not an automatic benefit. It necessitates the adoption of reforms that enable Arab governments to make use of the time-limited demographic opportunity. Otherwise, challenges such as ‘youth unemployment and alienation will persist, while new problems of old-age poverty will be exacerbated in the future' (viii). In view of the above, this statistical file presents selected demographic figures that might be useful for following up on the age–structural changes in Arab countries and to assess government policies that would serve the needs of different age groups.