2023

Helping shape the marketing industry for good

The Global DEI Census 2023

The Global DEI Census 2023

Initial findings now available

Building on insights from nearly 13,000 in-depth interviews with advertising and marketing professionals in 90+ markets, this second Global DEI Census report reveals the scale of the diversity challenge facing the profession.

It provides detailed insight into how the global industry is performing on a wide range of metrics and covers all protected characteristics – race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, gender identity or expression, family status or disability – as well as positions, salary and most importantly, lived experiences in the workplace.

The report also shines a light on whether there's been any meaningful change on DEI since WFA and its partners ran the first research in 2021.

Read the press release here

Download the findings

The Global DEI Census 2023: Top 10 findings

What next?

Local reports will help industry coalitions target the changes most needed at national level - and help them monitor progress. The WFA Global DEI Taskforce will help global organisations divert their resources to fixing the biggest challenges.

We are planning to re-run the survey in 2025. We hope we can count on your support then and that, together, we can measure meaningful and lasting progress.

If you'd like to know more, get in touch at DEI@wfanet.org

Contributors

160 organisations operating at global, regional and local level have joined forces to run this research. That makes this effort one of the biggest collaborations in the history of the global marketing industry.

To all those who partnered with us, we are incredibly humbled and grateful. If you are not yet a contributor but you would like to join this effort, please reach out at DEI@wfanet.org.

Global partners

Multinational supporters

International partners

Local industry partners

“Taking an honest look at our industry and company's marketing representation requires exactly the type of data the WFA census makes possible. Thank you to all the marketers who participate. This is how we move our industry forward.”

Raja Rajamannar, WFA President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Mastercard

About the Global DEI Census

In 2021, in the context of our inaugural industry census, 1 in 7 people said they would likely leave the advertising and marketing industry on the back of a lack of a diversity and inclusion. The industry is facing one of its worst talent crises.

Between March 15 and April 30, 2023, the industry rallied again behind the second Global DEI Census – the only independent, global survey of the marketing industry.

Building on the successful inaugural census of 2021, this new research will not only give us a more comprehensive benchmark of people’s sense of belonging and absence of discrimination in our industry, but it will also enable us to monitor progress.

The initiative is supported by WFA, VoxComm, Campaign, Kantar, Advertising Week, Cannes Lions, Effie Worldwide, IAA, Global Web Index (GWI) and Adweek, as well as over a hundred other industry organisations.

The Census covered 33 markets in-depth, however anyone, irrespective of where they are located, was able to add their voice to the effort. These markets include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, SAR, Italy, Ireland, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE), and the USA. The survey ran alongside UK’s All In Survey, led by the Advertising Association, IPA and ISBA.

For more information or questions, please contact us