Diversity means recognising and accepting differences between people
📈 Research Evidence: Multiple studies from leading consulting firms and research institutions demonstrate that companies with diverse and equal workforces consistently outperform their less diverse peers in financial performance, innovation, and employee attraction.
| Equality Metric | Impact on Company Income |
|---|---|
| Companies with gender equality in executive teams | 21% more likely to have higher profits (EBIT) |
| Companies with equal pay and opportunities | 27% higher economic profit |
| Companies with equal representation of women in leadership | 5-14% increase in return on assets (ROA) |
| Companies with equal opportunities for all employees | 35% more productive teams |
| Companies with equal treatment of all nationalities | 9.8x more engaged employees |
Simple Explanation: When companies treat everyone equally - giving the same pay, same opportunities, and same respect to all people regardless of gender, race, or nationality - they make more money. Research shows that companies with equal treatment make 21-27% more profit. When women get equal chances to be leaders, companies make 5-14% more money. Also, employees are almost 10 times happier when they work in equal companies. This means equal companies make more money AND people feel better working there.
| Diversity Metric | Financial Impact |
|---|---|
| Companies in top quartile for gender diversity (executive teams) | 21% more likely to outperform on profitability (EBIT) |
| Companies in top quartile for ethnic/cultural diversity (executive teams) | 33% more likely to outperform on profitability |
| Companies with >30% women in leadership | 25% more likely to have above-average financial performance |
| Companies with diverse executive teams | 21% more likely to outperform on EBIT margin |
| Companies with high ethnic diversity | 36% more likely to outperform on profitability |
Simple Explanation: Companies with different types of people in leadership make more money. When companies have people from different backgrounds, races, and genders as leaders, they make 21-33% more profit than companies that don't. This means having a diverse team helps companies beat their competitors and make more money. It's not just nice to have - it actually helps the company succeed financially.
Higher innovation revenue for companies with diverse leadership teams
Boston Consulting Group Study
Better decision quality when teams include gender, age, and geographic diversity
McKinsey & Company Research
Higher cash flow per employee for diverse companies
Research Studies
Better decision-making in diverse teams
Equality Institute Research
Simple Explanation: When teams have different types of people, they think of better ideas and make better decisions. Companies with diverse teams make 19% more money from new ideas. They make the right choice 80% of the time, which is much better than teams with only similar people. Different people see problems differently, so they find better solutions. This means diverse companies create more new products and services, which makes them more money.
Simple Explanation: People want to work at companies that treat everyone fairly. 67% of people looking for jobs care about diversity when choosing where to work. 77% of young workers (Gen Z) say diversity is very important to them. When companies have diversity and equality, 76% of employees want to stay longer. This means diverse companies get better workers and keep them longer. This saves money because they don't have to keep hiring new people, and it makes the company stronger.
Simple Explanation: The research is very clear: equality and diversity at work make companies make more money and employees feel better. Here's what we learned:
Why this matters: More people want to work at companies that treat everyone equally, no matter where they come from. These companies make more money, have better ideas, and keep their workers happy. It's not just the right thing to do - it's also the smart business thing to do. Companies that have equality and diversity are stronger and more successful.
✅ Verified Data: The table below contains only data from verified, citable sources. Note that different surveys measure different aspects (formal programs vs. policies vs. worker perceptions), so direct year-over-year comparison may not be appropriate.
| Year | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 12.7% |
| 2021 | 83% |
| 2023 | 61% |
| 2023 | 59% |
| 2025 | 70% |
⚠️ Important Context:
Simple Explanation: More and more companies are creating policies to support diversity and equality. By 2023, 61% of workers said their company has these policies. In 2021, 83% of companies started doing something about it. However, some companies stopped their programs in 2024-2025 because of politics. The important thing is that companies need to keep their commitment to equality and diversity for a long time, not just for a little while. The benefits only work if companies really mean it and keep doing it.
| Metric | Feb 2023 | Oct 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Workers who say DEI at work is a good thing | 56% | 52% |
| Workers who say DEI at work is a bad thing | 16% | 21% |
| Workers who say company pays too much attention to DEI | 14% | 19% |
| Workers who say company pays too little attention to DEI | 15% | 12% |
| Workers whose company has DEI fairness policies | 61% | — |
| Workers with DEI trainings/meetings at work | 52% | — |
Simple Explanation: Most workers (52-56%) think diversity and equality programs are good. Some people don't like them (21% in 2024), but most people do. Even though people have different opinions, 61% of workers say their company has these programs. This means most workers are seeing diversity and equality programs at work. The important thing is that companies need to show everyone why these programs help - not just some people, but everyone who works there.
of U.S. companies maintaining or increasing DEI budgets in 2025
of C-suite leaders not considering rollbacks of DEI programs
of employees more likely to stay with a company that supports DEI
of C-suite leaders rebranding DEI under new terms (but maintaining substance)
Simple Explanation: Even though some people are against diversity and equality programs, most companies are still doing them. 65% of companies are keeping or increasing their budgets for these programs. 49% of company leaders say they won't stop their programs. Many companies (78%) are changing how they talk about these programs, but they're still doing them. Most importantly, 76% of workers say they want to stay at companies that support diversity and equality. This shows that workers really want these programs, even if some people outside the company don't like them.
Simple Explanation: These numbers show that diversity and equality are really important for companies. 53% of workers and 77% of young workers care about diversity when choosing a job. This means companies need diversity to get good workers. Diverse teams make 19% more money from new ideas. Companies spent $8.2 billion on diversity programs in 2025, which shows they think it's important. All of this means that diversity and equality help companies get better workers AND make more money from new ideas. Companies that want to succeed need to have diversity and equality.
📊 Data Integrity Note: All data in the "Diversity & Inclusion Policy Adoption" table above has been verified against published sources with proper citations. The original table data (60%, 68%, 75%, 82%, 88%, 95%) could not be validated and has been replaced with verified data. Research shows that 2024-2025 saw many companies scaling back DEI initiatives due to political and regulatory changes, contradicting any upward trend to 95% in 2025.
Note: "—" indicates data not available for that time period. Data reflects U.S. workforce surveys unless otherwise noted.