Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 25 December 1997

World and regional averages The data in the table below has been compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the basis of information provided by National Parliaments by 25 December 1997. 177 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. Regional parliamentary assemblies
New: you can now consult an archive of statistical data on women in National Parliaments.

World Classification
RankCountryLower or single HouseUpper House or Senate
ElectionsSeatsWomen% WElectionsSeatsWomen% W
1 Sweden 09 1994 349 141 40.4 --- --- --- ---
2 Norway 09 1997 165 60 36.4 --- --- --- ---
3 Finland 03 1995 200 67 33.5 --- --- --- ---
4 Denmark 09 1994 179 59 33.0 --- --- --- ---
5 Netherlands 05 1994 150 47 31.3 05 1995 75 17 22.7
6 New Zealand 10 1996 120 35 29.2 --- --- --- ---
7 Argentina 10 1997 257 71 27.6 12 1995 72 4 5.6
8 Seychelles 07 1993 33 9 27.3 --- --- --- ---
9 Austria 12 1995 183 48 26.2 11 1994 64 13 20.3
" Germany 10 1994 672 176 26.2 1997* 69 13 18.8
" Viet Nam 07 1997 450 118 26.2 --- --- --- ---
10 Iceland 04 1995 63 16 25.4 --- --- --- ---
11 Mozambique 10 1994 250 63 25.2 --- --- --- ---
12 South Africa 04 1994 400 100 25.0 04 1994 90 16 17.8
13 Spain 03 1996 348 86 24.7 03 1996 256 34 13.3
14 Cuba 02 1993 589 134 22.8 --- --- --- ---
15 Namibia 12 1994 72 16 22.2 01 1992 26 1 3.8
16 Eritrea 02 1994 105 22 21.0 --- --- --- ---
16 Switzerland 10 1995 200 42 21.0 10 1995 46 8 17.4
17 Canada 06 1997 301 62 20.6 1994 104 24 23.1
18 Dem. People's Rep. of Korea 04 1990 687 138 20.1 --- --- --- ---
19 Grenada 06 1995 15 3 20.0 06 1995 13 ? ?
" Luxembourg 06 1994 60 12 20.0 --- --- --- ---
20 United Kingdom 05 1997 659 120 18.2 1997* 1077 81 7.5
21 Uganda 06 1996 276 50 18.1 --- --- --- ---
22 Turkmenistan 12 1994 50 9 18.0 --- --- --- ---
23 Lithuania 10 1996 137 24 17.5 --- --- --- ---
" United Rep. of Tanzania 10 1995 275 48 17.5 --- --- --- ---
24 Rwanda 11 1994 70 12 17.1 --- --- --- ---
25 Costa Rica 02 1994 57 9 15.8 --- --- --- ---
26 Suriname 05 1996 51 8 15.7 --- --- --- ---
27 Australia 03 1996 148 23 15.5 03 1996 76 23 30.3
" El Salvador 03 1997 84 13 15.5 --- --- --- ---
28 Bahamas 03 1997 40 6 15.0 03 1997 16 5 31.3
" Czech Republic 05 1996 200 30 15.0 11 1996 81 9 11.1
29 Slovakia 10 1994 150 22 14.7 --- --- --- ---
" Zimbabwe 04 1995 150 22 14.7 --- --- --- ---
30 Mexico 07 1997 500 71 14.2 07 1997 128 16 12.5
31 Kazakstan 12 1995 67 9 13.4 12 1995 47 4 8.5
32 Saint Kitts and Nevis 07 1995 15 2 13.3 --- --- --- ---
33 Poland 09 1997 460 60 13.0 09 1997 100 11 11.0
" Portugal 10 1995 230 30 13.0 --- --- --- ---
34 Belgium 05 1995 150 19 12.7 05 1995 71 16 22.5
35 Guatemala 11 1995 80 10 12.5 --- --- --- ---
36 Mali 07 1997 147 18 12.2 --- --- --- ---
37 Azerbaijan 11 1995 125 15 12.0 --- --- --- ---
" Ireland 06 1997 166 20 12.0 08 1997 60 11 18.3
38 Saint Lucia 05 1997 17 2 11.8 05 1997 11 2 18.2
39 Colombia 03 1994 163 19 11.7 03 1994 102 7 6.9
" Dominican Republic 05 1994 120 14 11.7 05 1994 30 1 3.3
" Jamaica 03 1993 60 7 11.7 03 1993 21 3 14.3
" San Marino 05 1993 60 7 11.7 --- --- --- ---
" Senegal 05 1993 120 14 11.7 --- --- --- ---
" United States of America 11 1996 435 51 11.7 11 1996 100 9 9.0
40 Hungary 05 1994 386 44 11.4 --- --- --- ---
" Indonesia 05 1997 500 57 11.4 --- --- --- ---
41 Cape Verde 12 1995 72 8 11.1 --- --- --- ---
" Italy 04 1996 630 70 11.1 04 1996 326 26 8.0
" Philippines 05 1995 217 24 11.1 05 1995 24 4 16.7
" Trinidad and Tobago 11 1995 36 4 11.1 11 1995 31 9 29.0
42 Estonia 03 1995 101 11 10.9 --- --- --- ---
" France 05 1997 577 63 10.9 09 1995 321 18 5.6
43 Bulgaria 04 1997 240 26 10.8 --- --- --- ---
" Nicaragua 10 1996 93 10 10.8 --- --- --- ---
" Peru 04 1995 120 13 10.8 --- --- --- ---
44 Barbados 09 1994 28 3 10.7 09 1994 21 6 28.6
45 Russian Federation 12 1995 450 46 10.2 1997* 178 1 0.6
46 Guinea-Bissau 07 1994 100 10 10.0 --- --- --- ---
47 Panama 05 1994 72 7 9.7 --- --- --- ---
" Zambia 11 1996 155 15 9.7 --- --- --- ---
48 Syrian Arab Republic 08 1994 250 24 9.6 --- --- --- ---
49 Angola 09 1992 220 21 9.5 --- --- --- ---
" Saint Vincent & the Grenadines 02 1994 21 2 9.5 --- --- --- ---
50 Dominica 06 1995 32 3 9.4 --- --- --- ---
51 Bangladesh 06 1996 330 30 9.1 --- --- --- ---
52 Burkina Faso 05 1997 111 10 9.0 12 1995 176 21 11.9
" Ghana 12 1996 200 18 9.0 --- --- --- ---
" Latvia 09 1995 100 9 9.0 --- --- --- ---
53 Equatorial Guinea 11 1993 80 7 8.8 --- --- --- ---
54 Botswana 10 1994 47 4 8.5 --- --- --- ---
55 Gabon 12 1996 120 10 8.3 01 1997 89 10 11.2
" Tuvalu 11 1993 12 1 8.3 --- --- --- ---
56 Côte d'Ivoire 11 1995 175 14 8.0 --- --- --- ---
57 Croatia 10 1995 127 10 7.9 04 1997 68 4 5.9
" Mongolia 06 1996 76 6 7.9 --- --- --- ---
58 Malaysia 04 1995 192 15 7.8 04 1995 69 12 17.4
" Slovenia 11 1996 90 7 7.8 --- --- --- ---
59 Mauritius 12 1995 66 5 7.6 --- --- --- ---
60 Chile 12 1993 120 9 7.5 12 1993 46 3 6.5
" Israel 05 1996 120 9 7.5 --- --- --- ---
61 Romania 11 1996 343 25 7.3 11 1996 143 2 1.4
" Sao Tome and Principe 10 1994 55 4 7.3 --- --- --- ---
62 Benin 03 1995 83 6 7.2 --- --- --- ---
" India 04 1996 545 39 7.2 04 1996 245 19 7.8
63 Andorra 02 1997 28 2 7.1 --- --- --- ---
" Uruguay 11 1994 99 7 7.1 11 1994 31 2 6.5
64 Guinea 06 1995 114 8 7.0 --- --- --- ---
65 Georgia 11 1995 231 16 6.9 --- --- --- ---
66 Tunisia 03 1994 163 11 6.7 --- --- --- ---
67 Brazil 10 1994 513 34 6.6 10 1994 81 6 7.4
68 Iraq 03 1996 250 16 6.4 --- --- --- ---
69 Armenia 07 1995 190 12 6.3 --- --- --- ---
" Greece 09 1996 300 19 6.3 --- --- --- ---
" Maldives 12 1994 48 3 6.3 --- --- --- ---
70 Uzbekistan 12 1994 250 15 6.0 --- --- --- ---
71 Venezuela 12 1993 203 12 5.9 12 1993 50 4 8.0
72 Cambodia 05 1993 120 7 5.8 --- --- --- ---
" Malta 10 1996 69 4 5.8 --- --- --- ---
73 Cameroon 05 1997 180 10 5.6 --- --- --- ---
" Malawi 05 1994 177 10 5.6 --- --- --- ---
" Monaco 01 1993 18 1 5.6 --- --- --- ---
" Thailand 11 1996 393 22 5.6 03 1996 260 21 8.1
74 Cyprus 05 1996 56 3 5.4 --- --- --- ---
75 Antigua and Barbuda 03 1994 19 1 5.3 03 1994 17 3 17.6
" Sri Lanka 08 1994 225 12 5.3 --- --- --- ---
" Sudan 03 1996 400 21 5.3 --- --- --- ---
76 Yugoslavia 11 1996 138 7 5.1 12 1993 40 3 7.5
77 Iran (Islamic Rep. of) 03 1996 266 13 4.9 --- --- --- ---
78 Republic of Moldova 02 1994 104 5 4.8 --- --- --- ---
" Singapore 01 1997 84 4 4.8 --- --- --- ---
79 Japan 10 1996 500 23 4.6 07 1995 252 35 13.9
" Lesotho 03 1993 65 3 4.6 05 1993 33 8 24.2
80 Fiji 02 1994 70 3 4.3 02 1994 34 3 8.8
81 Samoa 04 1996 49 2 4.1 --- --- --- ---
82 Liechtenstein 02 1997 25 1 4.0 --- --- --- ---
83 Ukraine 03 1994 450 17 3.8 --- --- --- ---
84 Ecuador 05 1996 82 3 3.7 --- --- --- ---
" Madagascar 06 1993 134 5 3.7 --- --- --- ---
85 Haiti 06 1995 83 3 3.6 04 1997 27 ? ?
86 Central African Republic 08 1993 85 3 3.5 --- --- --- ---
87 Belize 06 1993 29 1 3.4 06 1993 8 3 37.5
" Nepal 11 1994 205 7 3.4 06 1995 60 5 8.3
88 The F.Y.R. of Macedonia 10 1994 120 4 3.3 --- --- --- ---
89 Algeria 06 1997 380 12 3.2 --- --- --- ---
90 Swaziland 09 1993 64 2 3.1 09 1993 30 6 20.0
91 Kenya 12 1992 202 6 3.0 --- --- --- ---
" Republic of Korea 04 1996 299 9 3.0 --- --- --- ---
92 Tajikistan 02 1995 181 5 2.8 --- --- --- ---
93 Paraguay 05 1993 80 2 2.5 05 1993 45 5 11.1
94 Chad 01 1997 125 3 2.4 --- --- --- ---
" Turkey 12 1995 550 13 2.4 --- --- --- ---
95 Lebanon 08 1996 128 3 2.3 --- --- --- ---
" Pakistan 02 1997 217 5 2.3 03 1997 87 3 3.4
96 Bhutan 1997* 150 3 2.0 --- --- --- ---
" Egypt 11 1995 454 9 2.0 --- --- --- ---
" Ethiopia 05 1995 537 11 2.0 05 1995 120 ? ?
" Gambia 01 1997 49 1 2.0 --- --- --- ---
97 Papua New Guinea 06 1997 109 2 1.8 --- --- --- ---
98 Kyrgyzstan 02 1995 70 1 1.4 02 1995 35 4 11.4
99 Mauritania 10 1996 79 1 1.3 04 1996 56 0 0.0
100 Niger 11 1996 83 1 1.2 --- --- --- ---
" Togo 02 1994 81 1 1.2 --- --- --- ---
101 Morocco 11 1997 325 2 0.6 12 1997 270 2 0.7
102 Comoros 12 1996 43 0 0.0 --- --- --- ---
" Jordan 11 1997 80 0 0.0 11 1993 40 2 5.0
" Kiribati 07 1994 41 0 0.0 --- --- --- ---
" Kuwait 10 1996 50 0 0.0 --- --- --- ---
" Micronesia (Fed. States of) 03 1997 14 0 0.0 --- --- --- ---
" Palau 11 1996 16 0 0.0 11 1996 14 1 7.1
" Tonga 01 1996 30 0 0.0 --- --- --- ---
" United Arab Emirates 11 1995 40 0 0.0 --- --- --- ---
? Albania 06 1997 155 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Belarus 11 1996 110 ? ? 11 1996 64 ? ?
? Bolivia 06 1997 130 ? ? 06 1997 27 1 3.7
? Bosnia and Herzegovina 09 1996 42 ? ? 09 1996 15 ? ?
? China 10 1997 2978 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Djibouti 12 1997 65 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Guyana 12 1997 65 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Honduras 11 1997 128 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Lao People's Democratic Rep. 12 1997 99 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Liberia 07 1997 64 ? ? 07 1997 26 ? ?
? Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 1997* 760 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Marshall Islands 11 1995 33 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Nauru 02 1997 18 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Solomon Islands 08 1997 50 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Vanuatu 11 1995 50 ? ? --- --- --- ---
? Yemen 04 1997 301 ? ? --- --- --- ---

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