The Ambition Gap And Why High-Performing Women Are Redefining Promotion In 2026

Discussions about gender and career ambition are taking on fresh urgency. Long-standing beliefs that women are inherently less driven than men to pursue promotions are being challenged, not because women lack aspiration, but because structural barriers and shifting workplace values are reshaping how ambition looks in practice. 

According to the 2025 Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey & Company, for the first time in the survey’s history, there exists a measurable ambition gap in which women report less desire for promotion than men, despite being equally committed to their careers.

For example, the study found that only 69% of entry-level women wanted to move up compared with 80% of men, and 84% of senior women wanted advancement compared with 92% of senior men, illustrating that the gap exists across the career pipeline.

Here’s everything you need to know about the ambition gap, and why women are reportedly less interested in a promotion at work. 

The ambition gap, as per McKinsey & Company, is the measurable difference in how often men and women say they want to advance in their careers, particularly by pursuing promotions, even though both genders often report similar dedication to their work. Rather than indicating that women lack drive, evidence suggests this gap reflects differences in workplace experiences and support structures that shape how women view advancement.

U.S. workforce research shows that women are less inclined than men to seek promotions or raises. In PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears research, only 30% of women said they intended to ask for a promotion in the next 12 months, compared to 39% of men — a statistically significant difference. At the same time, only 41% of women below manager level reported feeling they have opportunities to demonstrate the full range of their skills, compared with 74% overall, indicating that women perceive fewer avenues for advancement even when capable. 

The McKinsey report highlights that when women receive the same career support as men, the ambition gap disappears. Equal sponsorship and manager advocacy lead to similar levels of desire for advancement across genders.

Yet, women remain less likely to receive such support. At entry and senior levels, sponsorship, which is a key driver of opportunities, remains lower for women. This impacts not only their access to promotion but also their confidence in whether advancement is attainable or worth the trade-offs. 

Separate research from PwC’s Inclusion Matters study finds a significant gap in the inclination to ask for promotions or raises between men and women. Women scored nine percentage points lower than men in willingness to seek promotion, which is a gap that narrows only when workplace inclusion is high. Women in inclusive environments are 1.5 times more likely to ask for a promotion and are more engaged in learning new skills.

Men’s and women’s turnover intentions also differ, with women more likely to consider leaving their employer, which reinforces how perceived opportunity shapes ambition.

Beyond resources, women may perceive the path forward as steeper. Reports show senior women are more likely to say they’ve been passed over for a role or do not see a realistic path to leadership, factors linked to decreased motivation to pursue further advancement, as per Fair Play Talks. 

Social science also reveals that experiences early in a career affect confidence. Research from Columbia Business School suggests that experience itself narrows ambition gaps, where less experienced women are less likely to pursue higher-level roles than men, but this gap disappears as experience grows. 

Rather than viewing promotion as a singular goal, women are prioritising skills growth, leadership at different levels, and meaningful contributions. This shift is partly a response to the realities of workplace inequity and partly reflective of evolving values in the workforce more broadly.

According to PWC, women in inclusive workplaces report being more likely to seek development opportunities and feeling a greater sense of job fulfilment, which are outcomes that often influence career design beyond traditional metrics like title alone. 

The ambition gap also intersects with concerns about work-life integration and burnout. McKinsey & Company also indicates that senior women report higher levels of burnout than their male counterparts. Challenges in balancing additional responsibilities, often influenced by societal norms around caregiving, can reshape how women approach career growth.