NINE in ten people all over the world hold bias against women, according to a new study by the United Nations (UN).
The study, which was published today ahead of International Women's Day, looked at data from 75 countries, representing 80% of the world's total population.
It found that overall, no country in the world was able to claim they had total gender equality.
According to results, both genders generally hold prejudiced views towards women.
Some of these views include: that men are better politicians and business leaders than women; that going to university is more important for men than women; and that men should get preferential treatment in competitive job markets.
People living in Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Qatar and Nigeria are considered the hold the most 'sexist bias', with over 99% of their populations holding at least sexist belief.
Countries with the lowest population of those with sexist beliefs were Andorra, at 27.01%, Sweden with 30.01% and the Netherlands, 39.75%.
Britain and the United States each came in with similar scores, 54.6% and 57.31% of people respectively holding at least one sexist belief.
In countries such as Zimbabwe and the Philippines, 96% and 91% of people said violence against women was acceptable and that they did not support reproductive rights.
One chilling statistic from the report was that, overall in the world, 28% of people believe it is okay for a man to beat his wife.
The numbers show "new clues to the invisible barriers women face in achieving equality" despite "decades of progress," the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said in a statement accompanying the report.
"The work that has been so effective in ensuring an end to gaps in health or education must now evolve to address something far more challenging: a deeply ingrained bias - among both men and women - against genuine equality," UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said.
