
The study notes that Norway's ranking is based on its high level of gender diversity, reflecting the Norwegian government's quota system that requires a certain percentage of women to be on the board of each publicly listed company. Researchers note that the United States likely would have ranked higher if ethnic diversity had been taken into account, which wasn't possible because most countries don't collect that information. The United States ranks ninth on the index, and the United Kingdom comes in at number 17. Those countries ranking near the bottom include Poland, Pakistan, Hungary, Turkey, and the Czech Republic.
Source: "Diversity and Inclusion: Unlocking Global Potential. Global Diversity Rankings by Country, Sector and Occupation." Forbes Insights, 2012.