Gender and IT employment

3.1 Overview

There were 433,000 female IT specialists in the UK workforce during 2025 - 22% of the total at that time. As illustrated in the chart below, the level of female representation in IT has increased slightly over the past five years but remains well below the level observed within the workforce as a whole (49%).

TRENDS IN WORKFORCE REPRESENTATION (2021-25)

Female IT specialists, 2021 to 2025: number, and women's share of IT specialists and of all workers

Female IT specialists, 2021 to 2025. The number of female IT specialists rose from 356,000 in 2021 to a peak of 436,000 in 2024, then 433,000 in 2025. Women's share of IT specialists rose from 20% to 22%, while women's share of all workers stayed at 48% to 49%.
Year	Number of female IT specialists	Female IT specialists as % of all IT specialists	Female workers as % of all workers
2021	356,000	20%	48%
2022	380,000	20%	48%
2023	420,000	21%	48%
2024	436,000	22%	49%
2025	433,000	22%	49%

Source: ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey, analysis commissioned by BCS

If the level of representation for female workers in IT specialist positions was equal to that amongst the workforce as a whole (49%) during 2025, there would have been an additional 535,000 women in IT roles in the UK.

3.2 Representation across the UK

Amongst the UK nations/regions, the East Midlands and North East were associated with the lowest level of female representation amongst IT specialists in 2025 (below 20% in each case). By contrast, Wales, the East of England, London and the North West displayed the best ‘gender balance’ with women accounting for 23% or more of IT specialists in these areas.

WORKFORCE GENDER REPRESENTATION BY NATION/REGION (2025)

Source: ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey, analysis commissioned by BCS