Seats held by women in national parliaments

184 countries, 2025. Unit: % of seats.

First in the ranking
63.8 %
Rwanda
Median country
26.3 %
half above, half below
World
27.2 %
World Bank aggregate
Range
0.0 to 63.8
Oman - Rwanda

How to read it

Across 184 countries worldwide, the highest value is in Rwanda (63.8 %) and the lowest in Oman (0.0 %).

The median country is at 26.3 %: half are above, half below.

For the world as a whole, the value rose from 11.7 % in 1997 to 27.2 % in 2025.

Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber held by women.

Compare selected countries · on the world map

Source: Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), uri: https://data.ipu.org/women-ranking/, note: For the year of 1998, the… · via World Bank WDI (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS) · licence

Women in parliament over time

%

Add to chart:

Ranking of countries

2025
In chart Continent Share of the highest value
1Rwanda63.8Africa
2Cuba55.7North America
3Nicaragua54.9North America
4Bolivia50.8South America
5Mexico50.2North America
6Andorra50.0Europe
7United Arab Emirates50.0Asia
8Costa Rica49.1North America
9Iceland46.0Europe
10Australia46.0Oceania
11Monaco45.8Europe
12New Zealand45.5Oceania
13Finland45.5Europe
14Ecuador45.0South America
15Sweden45.0Europe
16South Africa44.9Africa
17Cabo Verde44.4Africa
18Spain44.3Europe
19Denmark43.6Europe
20Netherlands43.3Europe
21Namibia42.3Africa
22Ethiopia41.9Africa
23Peru41.5South America
24Belgium41.3Europe
25Argentina41.2South America
26Senegal41.2Africa
27Dominica40.6North America
28United Kingdom40.5Europe
29Norway40.2Europe
30Burundi39.6Africa
31Moldova39.6Europe
32Tanzania39.5Africa
33North Macedonia39.2Europe
34Angola39.1Africa
35Switzerland39.0Europe
36Armenia38.3Asia
37Mozambique38.3Africa
38Uzbekistan38.0Asia
39Dominican Republic37.4North America
40Serbia37.2Europe
41France36.2Europe
42Guyana36.1South America
43Portugal35.7Europe
44Slovenia35.6Europe
45Austria35.5Europe
46Timor-Leste35.4Asia
47Albania35.0Europe
48Luxembourg35.0Europe
49San Marino35.0Europe
50Uganda34.1Africa
51Belarus33.9Europe
52Cameroon33.9Africa
53Chile33.5South America
54Chad33.5Africa
55Czechia33.5Europe
56Kyrgyzstan33.3Asia
57Croatia33.1Europe
58Italy32.8Europe
59Germany32.4Europe
60South Sudan32.4Africa
61Singapore32.3Asia
62Venezuela32.1South America
63Liechtenstein32.0Europe
64El Salvador31.7North America
65Vietnam31.4Asia
66Suriname31.4South America
67Uruguay31.3South America
68Poland31.3Europe
69Grenada31.3North America
70Saint Kitts and Nevis31.3North America
71Equatorial Guinea31.0Africa
72Latvia31.0Europe
73Canada30.3North America
74Jamaica30.2North America
75Zimbabwe30.1Africa
76Mali30.1Africa
77Honduras29.7North America
78Guinea29.6Africa
79Sierra Leone29.5Africa
80Colombia29.4South America
81Malta29.1Europe
82United States28.9North America
83Estonia28.7Europe
84Tajikistan28.6Asia
85Lithuania28.4Europe
86Philippines28.3Asia
87Montenegro27.2Europe
88Egypt26.8Africa
89Barbados26.7North America
90Benin26.6Africa
91China26.5Asia
92Seychelles26.5Africa
93Djibouti26.2Africa
94Turkmenistan25.6Asia
95Iraq25.5Asia
96Mongolia25.4Asia
97Ireland25.3Europe
98Bulgaria25.0Europe
99Lesotho25.0Africa
100Palau25.0Oceania
101Morocco24.3Africa
102Israel24.2Asia
103Trinidad and Tobago23.8North America
104Paraguay23.8South America
105Kenya23.4Africa
106Slovakia23.3Europe
107Mauritania23.3Africa
108Greece22.9Europe
109Romania22.4Europe
110Laos22.0Asia
111Indonesia21.9Asia
112Panama21.7North America
113Eswatini21.6Africa
114Gabon21.6Africa
115Federated States of Micronesia21.4Oceania
116Malawi21.4Africa
117Ukraine21.2Europe
118Azerbaijan20.8Asia
119South Korea20.3Asia
120Bahrain20.0Asia
121Guatemala20.0North America
122Türkiye19.9Asia
123Saudi Arabia19.9Asia
124Thailand19.6Asia
125Niger19.6Africa
126Jordan19.6Asia
127Bosnia and Herzegovina19.0Europe
128Somalia19.0Africa
129Bahamas18.4North America
130Kazakhstan18.4Asia
131Burkina Faso18.3Africa
132Comoros18.2Africa
133Brazil18.1South America
134Mauritius17.9Africa
135North Korea17.6Asia
136Pakistan17.0Asia
137Georgia16.8Asia
138Libya16.5Africa
139Russia16.4Europe
140Tunisia15.8Africa
141Japan15.7Asia
142Hungary15.6Europe
143Togo15.0Africa
144Zambia15.0Africa
145Republic of the Congo14.6Africa
146Ghana14.5Africa
147São Tomé and Principe14.5Africa
148Cyprus14.3Asia
149Madagascar14.1Africa
150India13.8Asia
151Cambodia13.6Asia
152Malaysia13.5Asia
153Côte d'Ivoire13.4Africa
154Saint Vincent and the Grenadines13.3North America
155Democratic Republic of the Congo12.8Africa
156Belize12.5North America
157Marshall Islands12.1Oceania
158Brunei11.4Asia
159Central African Republic11.4Africa
160Kiribati11.1Oceania
161Liberia11.0Africa
162Saint Lucia10.5North America
163Nauru10.5Oceania
164Samoa9.8Oceania
165Sri Lanka9.8Asia
166Fiji9.1Oceania
167Botswana9.0Africa
168The Gambia8.6Africa
169Algeria7.9Africa
170Lebanon6.3Asia
171Qatar6.1Asia
172Solomon Islands6.0Oceania
173Antigua and Barbuda5.6North America
174Syria4.9Asia
175Iran4.9Asia
176Bhutan4.3Asia
177Nigeria4.2Africa
178Tonga3.8Oceania
179Maldives3.2Asia
180Papua New Guinea2.7Oceania
181Vanuatu1.9Oceania
182Oman0.0Asia
183Tuvalu0.0Oceania
184Yemen0.0Asia
World Bank, WDI · SG.GEN.PARL.ZS · 2025 · CC BY 4.0 Source and licence

Biggest changes, 2015-2025

change in percentage points · 180 countries

Largest increase

  1. Armenia 10.7 → 38.3 +27.6 pp
  2. United Arab Emirates 22.5 → 50.0 +27.5 pp
  3. Monaco 20.8 → 45.8 +25.0 pp
  4. Palau 0.0 → 25.0 +25.0 pp
  5. Cabo Verde 20.8 → 44.4 +23.6 pp

Largest decrease

  1. Algeria 31.6 → 7.9 −23.7 pp
  2. Seychelles 43.8 → 26.5 −17.3 pp
  3. Tunisia 31.3 → 15.8 −15.6 pp
  4. Kazakhstan 26.2 → 18.4 −7.8 pp
  5. Syria 12.4 → 4.9 −7.5 pp

Continents over time

median country of each continent

Women in parliament - continent medians

%

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Oceania

0 10 20 30 40 1997 Africa: 7.42 Asia: 5.92 Europe: 11.86 North America: 11.7 South America: 7.29 Oceania: 2.96 1998 Africa: 8.05 Asia: 6 Europe: 13.04 North America: 12.13 South America: 10.83 Oceania: 1.83 1999 Africa: 8.29 Asia: 5.48 Europe: 13.33 North America: 12.22 South America: 11.8 Oceania: 1.94 2000 Africa: 8.11 Asia: 7.33 Europe: 15 North America: 10.91 South America: 11.8 Oceania: 1.94 2001 Africa: 8.76 Asia: 9.02 Europe: 15.83 North America: 13.33 South America: 11.8 Oceania: 0.92 2002 Africa: 9.33 Asia: 9.2 Europe: 17.42 North America: 13.79 South America: 12.5 Oceania: 3.03 2003 Africa: 10.2 Asia: 9.02 Europe: 17.45 North America: 14.25 South America: 14.25 Oceania: 1.42 2004 Africa: 10.99 Asia: 9.21 Europe: 19.13 North America: 16.67 South America: 14.25 Oceania: 1.97 2005 Africa: 11.86 Asia: 10.39 Europe: 21 North America: 16.67 South America: 16.46 Oceania: 3.24 2006 Africa: 12.5 Asia: 9.76 Europe: 20.83 North America: 16.67 South America: 17.44 Oceania: 3.03 2007 Africa: 13.85 Asia: 12 Europe: 20.83 North America: 16.67 South America: 17.74 Oceania: 3.03 2008 Africa: 13.09 Asia: 11.83 Europe: 21.27 North America: 16.67 South America: 17.74 Oceania: 3.03 2009 Africa: 13.64 Asia: 13.32 Europe: 21.6 North America: 14.29 South America: 19.89 Oceania: 3.03 2010 Africa: 13.74 Asia: 14.02 Europe: 21.6 North America: 13.33 South America: 16.06 Oceania: 0.92 2011 Africa: 13.89 Asia: 15.15 Europe: 22.31 North America: 16.67 South America: 15.57 Oceania: 3.03 2012 Africa: 15.77 Asia: 15.62 Europe: 23.7 North America: 16.67 South America: 15.57 Oceania: 3.03 2013 Africa: 17.49 Asia: 15.58 Europe: 24.11 North America: 16.67 South America: 17.23 Oceania: 3.57 2014 Africa: 18.18 Asia: 15.94 Europe: 24.11 North America: 19.3 South America: 18.42 Oceania: 4.15 2015 Africa: 17.88 Asia: 16.15 Europe: 26.17 North America: 19.35 South America: 19.88 Oceania: 5.69 2016 Africa: 18.18 Asia: 16.8 Europe: 26.17 North America: 19.17 South America: 22.68 Oceania: 6.59 2017 Africa: 18.18 Asia: 17 Europe: 28.04 North America: 18.83 South America: 25.49 Oceania: 8.39 2018 Africa: 20 Asia: 17.05 Europe: 28.04 North America: 21.09 South America: 24.04 Oceania: 8.25 2019 Africa: 20.26 Asia: 17.39 Europe: 29.7 North America: 21.13 South America: 26.29 Oceania: 6.96 2020 Africa: 20.75 Asia: 19 Europe: 31.13 North America: 26.83 South America: 24.37 Oceania: 6.9 2021 Africa: 22.86 Asia: 19 Europe: 34.26 North America: 27.36 South America: 32.45 Oceania: 6.9 2022 Africa: 22.89 Asia: 19.05 Europe: 33.33 North America: 27.64 South America: 35.38 Oceania: 6.9 2023 Africa: 23.3 Asia: 18.84 Europe: 34.62 North America: 28.23 South America: 35.48 Oceania: 9.26 2024 Africa: 23.8 Asia: 19.87 Europe: 33.64 North America: 28.65 South America: 35.48 Oceania: 10.82 2025 Africa: 23.39 Asia: 19.73 Europe: 35 North America: 29.92 South America: 32.84 Oceania: 10.17 1997 2007 2012 2017 2025

By continent

median country
Africa 23.4 %
Asia 19.7 %
Europe 35.0 %
North America 29.9 %
South America 32.8 %
Oceania 10.2 %

Tick a country in the table to add it to the chart above, up to six at a time. The ranking uses the latest year for which at least half of the countries have a value; countries without a value that year are not listed.