Norway ranks number one as the most diverse workforce in the world, according to a research study authored by Oxford Economics and commissioned by Forbes Insights. The report provides a first-of-its-kind ranking of employee diversity across 50 global economies, 14 industrial sectors, and nine occupations. The study also includes data on gender and ethnic diversity across more than 500 occupations and 300 sectors in the United States and the United Kingdom.

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.