Women’s health only receives 6 per cent of private healthcare investment despite women representing almost half of the global population, according to a new World Economic Forum report, launched today.
Of these limited funds, 90 per cent flow into just three areas: women’s cancers, reproductive health and maternal health, leaving other high-burden, high-prevalence conditions that impact women uniquely, differently, or disproportionally undercapitalised. Low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected by this funding gap.
This underinvestment threatens women’s health and leaves significant economic value untapped. These are the main findings of the inaugural Women’s Health Investment Outlook, which examines the current investment landscape and identifies opportunities to accelerate capital flows into women’s health.
“Men’s health has long been the default baseline for research and product development, with clinical standards, trial designs and innovation pipelines often calibrated to male physiology and needs,” said Shyam Bishen, Head, Centre for Health and Healthcare, World Economic Forum. “This approach systematically sidelines conditions that affect women uniquely, differently, or disproportionately, leaving critical areas underfunded, under-researched and underserved.”
Tapping into a US$100 billion opportunity
Despite longer life expectancy, women spend approximately 25 per cent more of their lives in poor health or with a disability. This gap reflects the cumulative burden of conditions that disproportionately affect women - through biological differences, distinct disease presentation or progression, or higher prevalence - reducing both well-being and workforce participation.
The narrow focus of investment in women’s health issues has meant that other high-prevalence conditions that affect women and put a significant strain on health systems have been underfunded for many years. These include cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, menopause and Alzheimer’s. These four areas alone are estimated to exceed US$100 billion in potential market opportunity in the United States alone by 2030, assuming standard care reaches all women.
Other underrepresented areas impacting women uniquely, such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and menstrual health, affect tens of millions of women, but receive less than 2 per cent of women’s health investment, the report finds.
Building investment momentum for women’s health
The report also identifies the following areas where current activity and conditions for growth indicate readiness for investment: women’s cancer therapeutics; digital healthcare for women, including remote maternal and mental health platforms; longevity clinics for middle-aged and menopausal women; and wearable devices for monitoring metabolic health conditions such as PCOS and gestational diabetes.
“The good news is that investment momentum is building; investors now see women’s health as a growth frontier, not just a niche,” said Trish Stroman, Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group. “The in-vitro fertilisation market exemplifies this, showing how aligning science and technology breakthroughs with rising demand and reimbursement certainty can unlock a high-growth industry.”
To replicate this success, the report suggests collaborative efforts to expand the evidence base in women’s health and increase transparency around outcomes and economic returns. Recommendations also include derisking investment through blended finance from public, private and philanthropic sources, and urge industry players in related areas to expand into women’s health. Additionally, extending reimbursement for treatments and modernising regulatory frameworks can lower entry barriers for new initiatives.
About the Women’s Health Investment Outlook
The Women’s Health Investment Outlook emphasises the economic and societal value of investing in women’s health. It calls on investors, policy-makers, and public and private-sector organisations in global healthcare to take targeted action to unlock scale and opportunity in women’s health. It is led by the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Health and Healthcare, Boston Consulting Group and Women’s Health Investment Consortium, which aims to unite global investors with innovators to encourage and enable responsible investments in women’s health.
About the Annual Meeting 2026
The World Economic Forum’s 56th Annual Meeting, taking place on 19-23 January 2026 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, will convene leaders from business, government, international organisations, civil society and academia under the theme A Spirit of Dialogue. Click here to learn more.
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