Netflix is making "notable gains" when it comes to providing more inclusive content, according to a new report published Thursday.

The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative culminated with a report following two years of study.

The report looks at 22 inclusion markers across Netflix's gamut of programming and rates their improvement on a year-over-year basis.

The online streaming service saw increased prominence among women and people of color from 2018 and 2021. Over half of its series (55%) over that time had a girl or woman playing a leading role. That number came in slightly lower (47.1%) for people of color.

The number of women directors climbed from 5.6% to 11.8%.

"We've released this report in the interests of transparency. Because without this kind of information, it's very hard to judge whether we're improving or not. And the report makes clear that while Netflix has made advances in representation year over year, we still have a long way to go," the company said in a statement Thursday.

The program is part of Netflix's $100 million commitment to diversity and inclusion.

"We see notable gains this year, which should serve as an example to the rest of the entertainment industry. Inclusion is possible," USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative lead researcher Stacy L. Smith said in a statement Thursday.

"However, it's essential to take an intersectional look across multiple identities to understand where progress is being made and where gains are desperately needed. We're looking forward to following up in 2 years to see how this report fostered change."

Netflix said it will continue to update the report every two years through at least 2026.

"We're encouraged by this newest round of results and the impact we're seeing...but we know that driving real change, not only at Netflix but industry-wide, means continuing to think about whose voices are still missing and discovering the next generation of storytellers," Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajara said in a statement.

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