Majority of women are afraid to ask for a raise. Here's how to negotiate for a higher salary

Asking for a pay raise is no easy feat, particularly for women.

More than half of women around the world have never asked for a raise before, according to a 2024 study by job listings site Indeed. Of the 43% who asked, three in four received a pay increase.

Additionally, 61% of women globally believe "they need to work harder for recognition than their male counterparts," according to the survey, which polled more than 14,500 women across 11 countries.

According to research from Indeed, here's the percentage of women who have asked for a raise in each country surveyed:

One Asian country stands out from the pack: India. Women in India were the most confident, with 65% of the respondents saying they have sought out a pay raise in the past.

"Female respondents in India were consistently more optimistic than their global counterparts," Nishita Lalvani, marketing director for India and Southeast Asia at Indeed, told CNBC Make It. Indian women also reported having more satisfaction when it comes to steps their employers were taking to close the gender wage gap.

However, women in Japan and Singapore were the least confident when it came to asking for a salary increment, the survey showed. Only 13% of women in Japan and 32% in Singapore said they've asked for a raise before.

Globally, 24% of the women surveyed said they lacked opportunities to ask, while 28% said they were afraid of negative consequences. Additionally, 28% of women said they did not have the confidence to bring up the conversation.

"Women generally find it more of a challenge to self-advocate for a promotion and/or pay raise," Aileen Tan, chief human resources officer with AIA Singapore said.

"I learnt early in my career that 'nothing ventured, nothing gained,'" she told