The data in the table below has been compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the basis of information provided by National Parliaments by 15 August 2002. 180 countries are classified by descending order of the percentage of women in the lower or single House. Comparative data on the world and regional averages as well as data concerning the two regional parliamentary assemblies elected by direct suffrage can be found on separate pages. You can use the PARLINE database to view detailed results of parliamentary elections by country.
New: you can now consult an archive of statistical data on women in National Parliaments.

Rank	Country	Lower or single House				Upper House or Senate
		Elections	Seats	Women	% W	Elections	Seats	Women	% W
1	Sweden	09 1998	349	149	42.7	---	---	---	---
2	Denmark	11 2001	179	68	38.0	---	---	---	---
3	Finland	03 1999	200	73	36.5	---	---	---	---
4	Norway	09 2001	165	60	36.4	---	---	---	---
5	Iceland	05 1999	63	22	34.9	---	---	---	---
6	Netherlands	05 2002	150	51	34.0	05 1999	75	20	26.7
7	Germany	09 1998	666	211	31.7	N.A.	69	17	24.6
8	Costa Rica	02 2002	57	18	31.6	---	---	---	---
9	Argentina	10 2001	257	79	30.7	10 2001	72	24	33.3
10	Mozambique	12 1999	250	75	30.0	---	---	---	---
11	South Africa*	06 1999	399	119	29.8	06 1999	89	17	31.5
12	New Zealand	07 2002	120	35	29.2	---	---	---	---
13	Spain	03 2000	350	99	28.3	03 2000	259	63	24.3
14	Cuba	01 1998	601	166	27.6	---	---	---	---
15	Viet Nam	05 2002	498	136	27.3	---	---	---	---
16	Austria	10 1999	183	49	26.8	N.A.	64	13	20.3
17	Grenada	01 1999	15	4	26.7	01 1999	13	1	7.7
18	Bulgaria	06 2001	240	63	26.2	---	---	---	---
19	Dem. Rep. of East Timor**	08 2001	88	23	26.1	---	---	---	---
20	Turkmenistan	12 1999	50	13	26.0	---	---	---	---
21	Rwanda	11 1994	74	19	25.7	---	---	---	---
22	Australia	11 2001	150	38	25.3	10 1998	76	22	28.9
23	Namibia	11 1999	72	18	25.0	11 1998	26	2	7.7
24	Uganda	06 2001	304	75	24.7	---	---	---	---
25	Seychelles	03 1998	34	8	23.5	---	---	---	---
26	Belgium	06 1999	150	35	23.3	06 1999	71	20	28.2
27	Switzerland	10 1999	200	46	23.0	10 1999	46	9	19.6
28	Lao People's Democratic Rep.	02 2002	109	25	22.9	---	---	---	---
29	Saint Vincent & the Grenadines	03 2001	22	5	22.7	---	---	---	---
30	United Rep. of Tanzania	10 2000	274	61	22.3	---	---	---	---
31	Monaco	02 1998	18	4	22.2	---	---	---	---
32	China	1997-98	2984	650	21.8	---	---	---	---
33	Nicaragua	11 2001	92	19	20.7	---	---	---	---
34	Canada	11 2000	301	62	20.6	N.A.	105	34	32.4
35	Croatia	01 2000	151	31	20.5	04 1997	65	4	6.2
36	Poland	09 2001	460	93	20.2	09 2001	100	23	23.0
37	Dem. People's Rep. of Korea	07 1998	687	138	20.1	---	---	---	---
38	Guyana	03 2001	65	13	20.0	---	---	---	---
39	Burundi	06 1993	169	33	19.5	02 2002	54	?	?
40	Senegal	04 2001	120	23	19.2	---	---	---	---
41	Portugal	03 2002	230	44	19.1	---	---	---	---
42	Dominica	01 2000	32	6	18.8	---	---	---	---
43	Bolivia	06 2002	130	24	18.5	06 2002	27	4	14.8
44	Peru	04 2001	120	22	17.5	---	---	---	---
45	United Kingdom	06 2001	659	118	17.9	N.A.	713	117	16.4
46	Estonia	03 1999	101	18	17.8	---	---	---	---
"	Philippines	05 2001	214	38	17.8	05 2001	24	3	12.5
47	Suriname	05 2000	51	9	17.6	---	---	---	---
48	Dominican Republic	05 2002	150	26	17.3	05 2002	32	2	6.3
49	Botswana	10 1999	47	8	17.0	---	---	---	---
"	Czech Republic	06 2002	200	34	17.0	11 2000	81	10	12.3
"	Latvia	10 1998	100	17	17.0	---	---	---	---
50	Luxembourg	06 1999	60	10	16.7	---	---	---	---
"	San Marino	06 2001	60	10	16.7	---	---	---	---
"	Trinidad and Tobago	12 2001	36	6	16.7	12 2001	31	10	32.3
51	Mexico	07 2000	500	80	16.0	07 2000	128	20	15.6
52	Angola	09 1992	220	34	15.5	---	---	---	---
53	Eritrea	02 1994	150	22	14.7	---	---	---	---
54	Ecuador	05 1998	123	18	14.6	---	---	---	---
55	Andorra	03 2001	28	4	14.3	---	---	---	---
56	Slovakia	09 1998	150	21	14.0	---	---	---	---
"	United States of America	11 2000	435	61	14.0	11 2000	100	13	13
57	Ireland	05 2002	166	22	13.3	08 1997	60	11	18.3
"	Israel	05 1999	120	16	13.3	---	---	---	---
"	Jamaica	12 1997	60	8	13.3	12 1997	21	5	23.8
"	Saint Kitts and Nevis	03 2000	15	2	13.3	---	---	---	---
58	Republic of Moldova	02 2001	101	13	12.9	---	---	---	---
59	Tajikistan	02 2000	63	8	12.7	03 2000	34	4	11.8
60	Chile	12 2001	120	15	12.5	12 2001	49	2	4.1
61	France	06 2002	577	71	12.3	09 2001	321	35	10.9
62	Slovenia	10 2000	90	11	12.2	---	---	---	---
63	Uruguay	10 1999	99	12	12.1	10 1999	31	3	9.7
64	Colombia	03 2002	166	20	12.0	03 2002	102	9	8.8
"	Liechtenstein	02 2001	25	3	12.0	---	---	---	---
"	Zambia	12 2001	158	19	12.0	---	---	---	---
65	Singapore	11 2001	85	10	11.8	---	---	---	---
66	Tunisia	10 1999	182	21	11.5	---	---	---	---
67	Cape Verde	01 2001	72	8	11.1	---	---	---	---
"	Saint Lucia	12 2001	18	2	11.1	05 1997	11	2	18.2
68	Barbados	01 1999	28	3	10.7	01 1999	21	7	33.3
"	Cyprus	05 2001	56	6	10.7	---	---	---	---
"	Romania	11 2000	345	37	10.7	11 2000	140	8	5.7
69	Lithuania	10 2000	141	15	10.6	---	---	---	---
70	Azerbaijan	11 2000	124	13	10.5	---	---	---	---
"	Mongolia	07 2000	76	8	10.5	---	---	---	---
71	Kazakhstan	10 1999	77	8	10.4	09 1999	39	5	12.8
"	Malaysia	11 1999	193	20	10.4	03 1998	69	18	26.1
"	Syrian Arab Republic	11 1998	250	26	10.4	---	---	---	---
72	Belarus	10 2000	97	10	10.3	12 2000	61	19	31.1
73	Kyrgyzstan	02 2000	60	6	10.0	02 2000	45	1	2.2
"	Zimbabwe	06 2000	150	15	10.0	---	---	---	---
74	Burkina Faso	05 2002	111	11	9.9	---	---	---	---
"	Panama	05 1999	71	7	9.9	---	---	---	---
75	Italy	05 2001	630	62	9.8	05 2001	321	25	7.8
76	Sudan	12 2000	360	35	9.7	---	---	---	---
"	Venezuela	07 2000	165	16	9.7	---	---	---	---
77	El Salvador	03 2000	84	8	9.5	---	---	---	---
78	Bhutan	N.A.	150	14	9.3	---	---	---	---
"	Malawi	06 1999	193	18	9.3	---	---	---	---
79	Gabon	12 2001	119	11	9.2	01 1997	91	12	13.2
"	Malta	09 1998	65	6	9.2	---	---	---	---
"	Thailand	01 2001	500	46	9.2	03 2000	200	21	10.5
80	Hungary	04 2002	386	35	9.1	---	---	---	---
81	Ghana	12 2000	200	18	9.0	---	---	---	---
82	Guatemala	11 1999	113	10	8.8	---	---	---	---
"	India	09 1999	543	48	8.8	03 2000	242	22	9.1
83	Greece	04 2000	300	26	8.7	---	---	---	---
84	Cote d'Ivoire	12 2000	223	19	8.5	---	---	---	---
85	Indonesia	06 1999	500	40	8.0	---	---	---	---
"	Madagascar	05 1998	150	12	8.0	03 2001	90	?	?
86	Guinea-Bissau	11 1999	102	8	7.8	---	---	---	---
"	Liberia	07 1997	64	5	7.8	07 1997	26	5	19.2
87	Ethiopia	05 2000	547	42	7.7	05 2000	120	10	8.3
88	Iraq	03 2000	250	19	7.6	---	---	---	---
"	Russian Federation	12 1999	449	34	7.6	N.A.	178	6	3.4
89	Cambodia	07 1998	122	9	7.4	03 1999	61	8	13.1
90	Central African Republic	11 1998	109	8	7.3	---	---	---	---
"	Japan	06 2000	480	35	7.3	07 2001	247	38	15.4
91	Georgia	10 1999	235	17	7.2	---	---	---	---
"	Uzbekistan	12 1999	250	18	7.2	---	---	---	---
"	Yugoslavia	09 2000	138	10	7.2	09 2000	40	1	2.5
92	Bosnia and Herzegovina	11 2000	42	3	7.1	11 2000	15	0	0.0
93	Belize	08 1998	29	2	6.9	06 1993	8	3	37.5
94	Brazil	10 1998	513	35	6.8	10 1998	80	5	6.3
95	The f.Y.R. of Macedonia	10 1998	120	8	6.7	---	---	---	---
96	Algeria	05 2002	389	24	6.2	12 1997	144	8	5.6
97	Samoa	03 2001	49	3	6.1	---	---	---	---
98	Benin	03 1999	83	5	6.0	---	---	---	---
"	Maldives	11 1999	50	3	6.0	---	---	---	---
99	Nepal	05 1999	205	12	5.9	06 2001	60	?	?
"	Republic of Korea	04 2000	273	16	5.9	---	---	---	---
100	Albania	06 2001	140	8	5.7	---	---	---	---
"	Fiji Islands	08 2001	70	4	5.7	08 2001	32	?	?
"	Gambia	01 2002	53	3	5.7	---	---	---	---
"	Mauritius	09 2000	70	4	5.7	---	---	---	---
101	Honduras	11 2001	128	7	5.5	---	---	---	---
102	Antigua and Barbuda	03 1999	19	1	5.3	03 1999	17	2	11.8
103	Equatorial Guinea	03 1999	80	4	5.0	---	---	---	---
104	Togo	03 1999	81	4	4.9	---	---	---	---
105	Kiribati	09 1998	42	2	4.8	---	---	---	---
106	Sri Lanka	12 2001	225	10	4.4	---	---	---	---
107	Turkey	04 1999	550	23	4.2	---	---	---	---
108	Iran (Islamic Rep. of)	02 2000	290	12	4.1	---	---	---	---
109	Haiti	05 2000	83	3	3.6	05 2000	27	7	25.9
"	Kenya	12 1997	224	8	3.6	---	---	---	---
110	Nigeria	02 1999	351	12	3.4	02 1999	108	3	2.8
111	Armenia	05 1999	131	4	3.1	---	---	---	---
"	Swaziland	10 1998	65	2	3.1	10 1998	30	4	13.3
112	Marshall Islands	11 1999	33	1	3.0	---	---	---	---
113	Paraguay	05 1998	80	2	2.5	05 1998	45	8	17.8
114	Egypt	11 2000	454	11	2.4	---	---	---	---
115	Lebanon	08 2000	128	3	2.3	---	---	---	---
116	Bangladesh	10 2001	300	6	2.0	---	---	---	---
117	Vanuatu	05 2002	52	1	1.9	---	---	---	---
118	Jordan	11 1997	80	1	1.3	11 1997	40	3	7.5
119	Niger	11 1999	83	1	1.2	---	---	---	---
120	Yemen	04 1997	299	2	0.7	---	---	---	---
121	Morocco	11 1997	325	2	0.6	9 2001	270	1	0.4
122	Djibouti	12 1997	65	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Kuwait	07 1999	65	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Micronesia (Fed. States of)	03 1999	14	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Nauru	04 2000	18	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Palau	11 2000	16	0	0.0	11 2000	9	0	0.0
"	Solomon Islands	12 2001	50	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	United Arab Emirates	12 1997	40	0	0	---	---	---	---
?	Bahamas	05 2002	40	?	?	05 2002	16	?	?
?	Cameroon	06 2002	180	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Chad	04 2002	155	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Congo	05 2002	137	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Guinea	06 2002	114	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Lesotho	05 2002	120	?	?	05 1998	33	9	27.3
?	Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	03 1997	760	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Mali	07 2002	147	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Mauritania	10 2001	81	?	?	04 2000	56	1	1.8
?	Papua New Guinea	06 2002	109	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Sao Tome and Principe	03 2002	55	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Sierra Leone	05 2002	80	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Tonga	03 2002	30	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Tuvalu	07 2002	15	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Ukraine	03 2002	450	?	?	---	---	---	---

* South Africa: the figures on the distribution of seats do not include the 36 special rotating delegates appointed on an ad hoc basis, and the percentages given are therefore calculated on the basis of the 54 permanent seats ** Democratic Republic of East Timor: The purpose of elections held on 30 August 2001 was to elect members of the Constituent Assembly of East Timor. This body became the National Parliament on 20 May 2002, the date on which the country became independent, without any new elections.