IKEA Reports Continued Progress on Gender Equality with Balanced Leadership and Reduced Pay Gap Across Ingka Group

IKEA Reports Continued Progress on Gender Equality with Balanced Leadership and Reduced Pay Gap Across Ingka Group

(IN BRIEF) IKEA, through Ingka Group, continues to prioritise gender equality as a core part of its business strategy, integrating inclusive practices across recruitment, development and leadership processes. The company has achieved near gender balance across management and leadership roles, with women holding 49.8 percent of these positions and representing 53.4 percent of the overall workforce in financial year 2025. Half of the CEOs across IKEA’s retail markets are women. Ingka Group also reported a gender pay gap of 3.4 percent in FY25, down from 4 percent the previous year and significantly below the EU average of 11.1 percent. The company emphasises that achieving representation is only one step toward equality and continues to focus on creating a psychologically safe and inclusive workplace where employees feel respected, valued and able to contribute to decision-making. IKEA considers gender equality a continuous commitment and plans to maintain efforts to close pay gaps, sustain balanced leadership and expand opportunities for employees across the organisation.

(PRESS RELEASE) LEIDEN, 6-Mar-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — IKEA, through Ingka Group, continues to prioritise gender equality as a central element of its business strategy, reflecting a long-standing belief that inclusive workplaces contribute to stronger organisations and better everyday experiences for employees and customers alike. For decades, the company has integrated equality into its core business practices, embedding it in processes ranging from recruitment and professional development to promotion and leadership succession planning.

As a result of this sustained commitment, Ingka Group has achieved and maintained near gender balance across its leadership structure. Women currently hold 49.8 percent of management and leadership roles across the organisation, while representing 53.4 percent of the total workforce in financial year 2025. Across IKEA’s retail markets, half of the chief executive positions are held by women.

However, the organisation emphasises that representation alone is not sufficient to achieve meaningful equality. Ingka Group continues to focus on creating a workplace culture that recognises the different needs of employees across genders and life stages, with the goal of fostering a psychologically safe and inclusive environment.

This approach centres on building a workplace where employees feel comfortable being themselves, are treated with fairness and respect, and have equal opportunities to grow professionally, contribute ideas and pursue leadership roles.

Alejandra Piñol, Global People and Culture Manager at Ingka Group, highlighted the importance of cultivating an environment where employees feel genuinely heard and valued. She explained that when people feel safe to express their perspectives and confident that their contributions matter, organisations benefit from the full strength and diversity of their teams, leading to better outcomes for the business and the communities it serves.

Ingka Group believes that inclusive leadership is fundamental to organisational resilience and innovation. While achieving representation at decision-making tables is an important step, the company stresses that the real impact comes when diverse voices are actively respected and contribute to shaping decisions. Balanced leadership teams, according to the company, bring broader viewpoints that encourage creativity, strengthen problem-solving and support more sustainable business performance.

Equal pay remains another key focus of the company’s equality efforts. Ingka Group has committed to achieving zero gender pay gap and continues to monitor and address pay disparities across its workforce. In financial year 2025, the company reported a gender pay gap of 3.4 percent*, an improvement from 4 percent in the previous year. This figure is significantly lower than the European Union average gender pay gap of 11.1 percent, according to Eurostat’s 2024 data**.

Despite this progress, company leaders emphasise that equality initiatives require continuous attention. Piñol noted that while the organisation is proud of the progress achieved so far, sustained effort is necessary to maintain gender balance, close remaining pay gaps and expand opportunities for all employees. She emphasised that equality should not be viewed as a final destination but rather as an ongoing commitment, as workforce dynamics and organisational structures continue to evolve over time.

Gender equality has been a formal business priority for IKEA since 2002. Over the years, the company has implemented policies aimed at reducing bias and improving fairness in recruitment and career development, including the decision not to request salary history during hiring processes. The company also emphasises the importance of recognising the changing needs of employees throughout different stages of life.

Looking ahead, IKEA plans to continue promoting equal opportunities within the workplace while also encouraging progress toward greater equality in everyday life beyond the workplace.

*The reported 3.4% gender pay gap is based on Ingka Group’s financial year 2025 (FY25), covering the period from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025.  

**Eurostat – Gender pay gap statistics (2024) – https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Gender_pay_gap_statistics 

SOURCE: Ingka Holding B.V