Culture
Visualizing Gender Diversity in Corporate America
There’s been a massive push to increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
However, it appears corporate America still has a ways to go, particularly when it comes to diverse representation in corporate leadership roles. In 2021, only 8.2% of Fortune 500 CEOs were female. Of those females, 85% of them were white.
This graphic by Zainab Ayodimeji highlights the current state of diversity in corporate America, reminding us that there are still significant gender and racial gaps.
Five Decades of Fortune 500 CEOs
Since 1955, Fortune Magazine has released its annual Fortune 500 list that ranks the 500 largest U.S. companies, ranked by total revenue earned each fiscal year.
For the first 17 years of its publication, there were no female CEOs on the Fortune 500. Then in 1972, Katharine Graham became CEO of the Washington Post, making her the first-ever female CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
Following Graham, a few other women joined the ranks, such as Marion Sandler, co-CEO of Golden West Financial Corporation, and Linda Wachner, CEO of Warnaco Group. But apart from those few outliers, Fortune 500 CEOs remained almost exclusively male for the next few decades.
At the turn of the millennium, things started to change. Women-led companies started to appear more frequently on the Fortune 500. Here’s a breakdown that shows the number of women CEOs on the list, from 1999 to 2021:
Year | Fortune 500 # of Women CEOs | % of Total |
---|---|---|
1999 | 2 | 0.4% |
2000 | 2 | 0.4% |
2001 | 3 | 0.6% |
2002 | 7 | 1.4% |
2003 | 7 | 1.4% |
2004 | 8 | 1.6% |
2005 | 9 | 1.8% |
2006 | 10 | 2.0% |
2007 | 13 | 2.6% |
2008 | 12 | 2.4% |
2009 | 15 | 3.0% |
2010 | 15 | 3.0% |
2011 | 12 | 2.4% |
2012 | 18 | 3.6% |
2013 | 20 | 4.0% |
2014 | 24 | 4.8% |
2015 | 24 | 4.8% |
2016 | 21 | 4.2% |
2017 | 32 | 6.4% |
2018 | 24 | 4.8% |
2019 | 33 | 6.6% |
2020 | 39 | 7.8% |
2021 | 41 | 8.2% |
Slowly, women of color started to appear on the list as well. In 1999, Andrea Jung, the CEO of Avon, became the first East Asian female CEO in the Fortune 500. And in 2009, Xerox CEO Ursula Burns was the first Black woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
By 2021, 41 of the Fortune 500 companies were led by women—8.2% of the overall list.
While this increasing total is a clear trend, it’s important to note that women make up nearly 50% of the global population, meaning genders are still not equally represented in corporate leadership.
The Financial Benefits of Diverse Workplaces
Along with the number of societal and cultural benefits that come with a diverse workplace, research indicates that diversity can also be financially beneficial to corporations, and enhance a company’s bottom line.
A study by the Council of Foreign Relations found that gender equality in the workforce could add up to $28 trillion in global GDP.
According to the Council of Foreign Relations, a number of policy changes are needed to help close the gender gap in the workforce, such as legislation to promote women’s access to capital and financial services, or tax credits for childcare support.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Culture
Ranked: Which Countries Drink the Most Beer?
Global consumption exceeded 185 million kiloliters in 2021, enough to fill more than 74,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Visualizing Global Beer Consumption
Global beer consumption exceeded 185 million kiloliters in 2021, enough to fill more than 74,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
So, which countries drink the most beer?
This graphic uses data from Kirin Holdings to compare global beer consumption by country. The Japanese company has been tracking beer consumption around the world since 1975.
Which Countries Drink the Most Beer?
Every region in the world increased its overall beer consumption in 2021 compared to 2020, with global consumption rising by 4%.
Asia holds a 31% share of the global beer market, remaining the world’s largest beer-consuming region over the last 14 years.
Rank | Country | Total Consumption (thousand kl) | Market Share |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇨🇳 China | 38,093 | 20.5% |
2 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 24,170 | 13.0% |
3 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 14,540 | 7.8% |
4 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 8,937 | 4.8% |
5 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 8,660 | 4.7% |
6 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 7,584 | 4.1% |
7 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 4,608 | 2.5% |
8 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 4,188 | 2.3% |
9 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 4,159 | 2.2% |
10 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 4,131 | 2.2% |
China was the largest beer-consuming country for the 19th consecutive year.
The tradition of brewing and enjoying beer in China spans approximately nine millennia. Recent archaeological discoveries have revealed that as far back as 7000 BC, ancient Chinese communities were engaged in producing beer-like alcoholic beverages, primarily on a small and localized basis.
China was also the leading producer of beer in 2022, followed by the United States.
Beer Consumption Per Capita
When examining per capita beer consumption, Asia falls behind Europe. In fact, nine of the top 10 consumers of beer per capita are European nations.
The Czech Republic remains the leader in per capita beer drinking for the 29th year. In 2021, the average Czech drank more than 184 liters of beer.
Rank | Country | Per Capita Beer Consumption (volume in liters) | Total Consumption (thousand kl) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 184.1 | 1,969 |
2 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 98.7 | 888 |
3 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 96.3 | 260 |
4 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 95.6 | 1,826 |
5 | 🇵🇱 Poland | 94.1 | 3,557 |
6 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 91.4 | 119 |
7 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 90.4 | 7,584 |
8 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 88.5 | 4,131 |
9 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 85.7 | 223 |
10 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 82.4 | 338 |
The Czech Republic is known for its affordable beer. In some parts of the country, beer can even cost less than bottled water.
Small Brewers and Technology
Beer production is expected to rise over the next decade, boosted by new smaller brewers, particularly in Western countries.
Investments have also been made in new technology to expedite the brewing process, including the utilization of ‘BeerBots’ capable of accelerating the fermentation process.
According to Future Market Insights, the global beer market is projected to be valued at $690 billion in 2023, rising to $996 billion by 2033.
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