30+ DEI Data and Statistics to Communicate Why DEI Matters to Stakeholders

As a DEI leader, you may find yourself defending initiatives to your executive team and showing them why diversity and inclusion are important. As you know, leaning on data is the best way to make a case. Not to mention, organizations’ financial commitment to DEI is growing. The global market for diversity and inclusion is estimated to increase from $9.3 billion in 2022 to $15.4 billion by 2026.

To assist you in defending your DEI strategies with data, Senior Executive DEI aggregated more than 30 DEI statistics from our reporting and articles across our website. Save this resource for your next executive meeting and share it with your colleagues so you can communicate to stakeholders why DEI matters. 

Use the quick navigation links below to jump to a specific topic of interest. Find data points to help you: 

• DEI Data to Advocate for DEI in Hiring Initiatives
• DEI Data to Advocate for DEI Training Initiatives
• DEI Data to Advocate for DEI on Your Executive Team
• DEI Data to Advocate for DEI Initiatives That Uplift Historically Marginalized Groups

DEI Data to Advocate for DEI in Hiring Initiatives

If your shareholders are hesitant to invest in alternative hiring methods (e.g. paying for diverse job board posts and staffing career fairs at minority-serving institutions), these statistics demonstrate the financial value and positive outcomes that come from diversifying the hiring pipeline. 

1. Companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity outperformed the bottom quartile in profitability by 36% — McKinsey Report, “Diversity wins: How inclusion matters” (2020)
2. Diverse companies earn 2.5 times higher profit per employee — Research and Markets, “Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Global Market Report 2022” (2022)
3. Inclusive teams are 35% more productive — Research and Markets, “Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Global Market Report 2022” (2022)
4. Companies with below-average diversity see 26% average innovation revenue compared to companies with above-average diversity that see 45% average innovation revenue — Boston Consulting Group (2017)
5. 86% of job seekers consider a company’s approach to DEI, such as including a DEI statement, as an important factor when considering a company — ZipRecruiter Annual DEI Survey (2019)
6. Gen Z and Millennials consider DEI a top value they look for in future employers — ZipRecruiter Annual DEI Survey (2019)
7. 76% of job seekers say they consider workforce diversity before accepting an offer — Glassdoor, “Diversity & Inclusion Workplace Survey” (2020)
8. Patients fare better, and innovation, communication, and financial performance improve in hospital systems with diverse medical teams — National Library of Medicine, “Diversity improves performance and outcomes” (2019)

To see how much your peers are spending on DEI initiatives, review recent corporate DEI reports in our resource: 25+ Examples of DEI Scorecards and DEI Reports.

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DEI Data to Advocate for DEI Training

From unconscious bias to psychological safety training, DEI training will support the long-term professional development of employees and managers alike. This data reiterates why DEI training is important to employees and how it helps the bottom line. 

9. Managers whose overall skills rate higher in areas like psychological safety lead teams that bring in an average of $4.3 million more in revenue per year — Ecsell Institute 
10. Inclusive companies lower turnover by 19% — The Predictive Index, “The State of Talent Optimization” (2023)
11. Increasing the ratio of U.S. workers who strongly agree their opinions count at work from the current average of 3 out of 10 to a 6 out of 10 reduces turnover by 27% and increases productivity by 12% — Gallup
12. 52% of exiting employees wouldn’t have left if their manager or organization prevented it, highlighting the importance of manager training — Gallup
13. Replacing an employee costs 1.5 to 2 times their annual salary — Gallup
14. 56% of employees believe increasing DEI initiatives is a good thing, but only 52% of respondents said their organization holds DEI training and meetings — Pew Research Center, “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace” (2023)
15. Black employees make up 12% of entry-level jobs but they leave these roles at higher rates than white employees in the private sector — McKinsey, “Race in the workplace: The Black experience in the US private sector” (2021)

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DEI Data to Advocate for DEI on Your Executive Team

Time and again, diversity leaders who are making strides in their discipline attribute part of their success to a commitment to DEI from the top down. That requires some organizations to assess what diversity looks like in the C-suite and across their board of directors. If your organization is lacking in diversity at these levels, these statistics can help you make the case for why it’s time for a reorganization.

16. Company earnings before interest and taxes rise 0.8% for every 10% increase in racial and ethnic diversity on senior executive teams in the U.S. — McKinsey, “Diversity Matters” (2015)
17. The makeup of boards of directors at publicly traded companies, as of the end of 2021: 2.7% Hispanic, 5% Asian or Pacific, and 6.2% Black — Equilar
18. At the current rate of promotions, talent parity for Black employees (12% representation at the manager level and above) will take an estimated 95 years in the private sector — McKinsey, “Race in the workplace: The Black experience in the US private sector” (2021)
19. 87% of companies have a sponsorship program, but about two-thirds of Black professionals in America do not have sponsors to specifically advocate for their career growth — McKinsey, “Race in the workplace: The Black experience in the US private sector” (2021)
20. Approximately 61% of C-suite executives are white men in the U.S., compared to 5% who identify as women of color — McKinsey, “Women in the Workplace” (2022)
21. 8% of corporate VP roles are held by women of color compared to 54% of VP roles held by white men — McKinsey, “Women in the Workplace” (2022)
22. Only 7% of managers in the private sector are Black employees — McKinsey, “Race in the workplace: The Black experience in the US private sector” (2021)

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DEI Data to Advocate for DEI Initiatives That Uplift Historically Marginalized Groups

The work doesn’t stop once employees from historically marginalized groups are hired. What’s equally crucial is creating an inclusive environment. Use these statistics to benchmark where your organization may be falling short in making employees feel like they belong.

23. Transgender inclusion in the workplace (hiring more transgender employees, advocating for wage equality) could increase consumer spending by $12 billion annually — McKinsey, “Being transgender at work”
24. Approximately 61 million people in the U.S. live with a disability — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
25. Adults living with disabilities have $490 billion in disposable income, which they can choose to spend on inclusive products and services — American Institute for Research
26. Up to $16 billion in design spending will be allocated to tech vendors and services companies committed to accessibility — Forrester
27. The average workplace accommodation costs just $300 — Job Accommodation Network (2023)
28. 56% of global employees don’t share parts of their identity at work because they think it will hold them back; this number increases for the LGBTQ+ population — EY, “Belonging Barometer” (2023)
29. 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ employees hide their sexuality at work — LinkedIn, “The State of LGBTQ+ Workforce 2022” (2022)
30. 42% of LGBTQ+ employees have experienced non-inclusive behaviors at work — Deloitte, “2023 LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work” (2023)
31. 31% of LGBTQ+ workers have felt unhappy or depressed at work — Human Rights Campaign, “A Workplace Divided: Understanding the Climate for LGBTQ Workers Nationwide” (2018)
32. ERGs are the most effective community-building resources at organizations: 66% effectiveness in employee community building, 54% effectiveness in external engagement, 54% effectiveness in allyship, 46% effectiveness in leadership connection, 40% effectiveness in career advancement — McKinsey, “Race in the Workplace” (2021)
33. 88% of employees believe companies should prioritize making workplaces accessible to people who are blind or visually impacted — National Industries for the Blind (2021)
34. The blind and visually impaired workforce is estimated to increase to more than 8 million people by 2050 in the U.S. — National Institutes of Health (2016)

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