Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 30 April 2007

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 30 April 2007. 189 country 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
ElectionsSeats*Women% WElectionsSeats*Women% W
1Rwanda09 2003803948.809 200326934.6
2Sweden09 200634916547.3------------
3Finland03 20072008442------------
4Costa Rica02 2006572238.6------------
5Norway09 20051696437.9------------
6Denmark02 20051796636.9------------
7Netherlands11 20061505536.706 2003752229.3
8Cuba01 200360921936------------
"Spain03 20043501263603 20042596023.2
9Argentina10 2005257903510 2005723143.1
10Mozambique12 20042508734.8------------
11Belgium05 20031505234.705 2003712738
12Iceland05 2003632133.3------------
13South Africa 104 200440013132.804 2004541833.3
14Austria10 20061835932.2N.A.621727.4
"New Zealand09 20051213932.2------------
15Germany09 200561419431.6N.A.691521.7
16Burundi07 20051183630.507 2005491734.7
17United Rep. of Tanzania12 20053199730.4------------
18Uganda02 20063329929.8------------
19Seychelles12 2002341029.4------------
20Peru04 20061203529.2------------
21Belarus10 20041103229.111 2004581831
22Guyana08 2006692029------------
23Andorra04 200528828.6------------
24The F.Y.R. of Macedonia07 20061203428.3------------
25Afghanistan09 20052496827.309 20051022322.5
"Viet Nam05 200249813627.3------------
26Namibia11 2004782126.911 200426726.9
27Grenada11 200315426.711 200313430.8
28Iraq12 20052757025.5------------
"Suriname05 2005511325.5------------
29Timor-Leste08 2001872225.3------------
30Lao People's Democratic Rep.04 20061152925.2------------
31Ecuador10 20061002525------------
"Switzerland10 2003200502510 2003461123.9
32Lithuania10 20041413524.8------------
33Australia10 20041503724.710 2004762735.5
34Singapore05 2006942324.5------------
35Liechtenstein03 200525624------------
36Lesotho02 20071192823.503 2007331030.3
37Honduras11 20051283023.4------------
38Luxembourg06 2004601423.3------------
39Tunisia10 20041894322.807 20051121513.4
40Mexico07 200650011322.607 20061282217.2
41United Arab Emirates12 200640922.5------------
42Bulgaria06 20052405322.1------------
43Eritrea02 19941503322------------
44Ethiopia05 200552911621.910 20051122118.8
45Estonia03 20071012221.8------------
"Republic of Moldova03 20051012221.8------------
46Croatia11 20031523321.7------------
47Pakistan10 20023427321.303 20061001717
"Portugal02 20052304921.3------------
48Canada01 20063086420.8N.A.1003535
"Monaco02 200324520.8------------
49Poland09 20054609420.409 20051001313
"Serbia01 20072505120.4------------
50China02 2003298060420.3------------
51Dem. People's Rep. of Korea08 200368713820.1------------
52Bahamas05 20024082005 200216743.8
"Slovakia06 20061503020------------
53Dominican Republic05 20061783519.705 20063213.1
"United Kingdom05 200564612719.7N.A.75114218.9
54Trinidad and Tobago10 200236719.410 2002311032.3
55Guinea06 20021142219.3------------
56Senegal04 20011202319.2------------
57Latvia10 20061001919------------
58Venezuela12 20051673118.6------------
59Nicaragua11 2006921718.5------------
60Saint Vincent & the Grenadines12 200522418.2------------
61Equatorial Guinea04 20041001818------------
62Mauritania11 2006951717.901 200753917
63Sudan08 20054508017.808 20055024
64Tajikistan02 2005631117.503 200534823.5
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.501 20051001515
65Italy04 200663010917.304 20063224413.7
"Nepal01 20073295717.3------------
66Mauritius07 2005701217.1------------
67Bolivia12 20051302216.912 20052713.7
68El Salvador03 2006841416.7------------
"Panama05 2004781316.7------------
"Zimbabwe03 20051502516.711 2005662334.8
69United States of America11 20064357116.311 20061001616
70Turkmenistan12 200450816------------
71Czech Republic06 20062003115.510 2006811214.8
72Cape Verde01 2006721115.3------------
"Philippines05 20042363615.305 200424416.7
73Bangladesh 210 20013455215.1------------
74Angola09 19922203315------------
"Chile12 2005120181512 20053825.3
75Zambia09 20061572314.6------------
76Sierra Leone05 20021241814.5------------
77Bosnia and Herzegovina10 200642614.303 200715213.3
"Cyprus05 200656814.3------------
78Israel03 20061201714.2------------
79Guinea-Bissau03 20041001414------------
80Malawi04 20041912613.6------------
81Republic of Korea04 20042994013.4------------
82Barbados05 200330413.305 200321523.8
"Ireland05 20021662213.307 2002601016.7
83Greece03 20043003913------------
84Dominica05 200531412.9------------
85Gabon12 20061201512.502 2003911415.4
"Liberia10 200564812.510 200530516.7
86Niger11 20041131412.4------------
87France06 20025747012.209 20043315616.9
"Slovenia10 2004901112.212.20024037.5
88Maldives01 200550612------------
"Syrian Arab Republic04 20072503012------------
89Burkina Faso05 20021111311.7------------
"Jamaica10 200260711.710 200221419
"San Marino06 200660711.7------------
90Azerbaijan11 20051241411.3------------
"Indonesia04 20045506211.3------------
91Romania11 20043313711.211 2004137139.5
92Botswana10 200463711.1------------
"Uruguay10 2004991111.110 20043139.7
93Ghana12 20042302510.9------------
94Djibouti01 200365710.8------------
"Morocco09 20023253510.809 200627031.1
"Swaziland10 200365710.810 200330930
95Antigua and Barbuda03 200419210.503 200417317.6
"Central African Republic05 20051051110.5------------
96Hungary04 20063864010.4------------
"Kazakhstan09 200477810.409 20043925.1
97Mali07 20021471510.2------------
98Paraguay04 20038081004 20034548.9
99Cambodia07 2003123129.801 200661914.8
"Russian Federation12 2003447449.8N.A.17863.4
100Gambia01 20075359.4------------
"Georgia03 2004235229.4------------
"Japan09 2005480459.407 20042423514.5
101Malta04 20036569.2------------
102Malaysia03 2004219209.103 2004701825.7
103Cameroon06 2002180168.9------------
104Brazil10 2006513458.810 2006811012.3
105Thailand10 2006242218.7------------
"Ukraine03 2006450398.7------------
106Montenegro09 20068178.6------------
"Togo10 20028178.6------------
107Congo05 2002129118.510 200560813.3
"Cote d'Ivoire12 2000223198.5------------
108Benin03 20078378.4------------
"Colombia03 2006166148.403 20061021211.8
"Dem. Republic of the Congo07 2006500428.401 200710854.6
109India04 2004545458.37.20062422610.7
110Guatemala11 2003158138.2------------
111Somalia08 2004269217.8------------
112Libyan Arab Jamahiriya03 2006468367.7------------
113Kenya12 2002219167.3------------
"Sao Tome and Principe03 20065547.3------------
114Albania07 2005140107.1------------
"Kiribati05 20034237.1------------
115Madagascar12 2002160116.903 2001901011.1
116Belize03 20033026.703 200312325
117Mongolia06 20047656.6------------
118Chad04 2002155106.5------------
119Algeria05 2002389246.212 200614442.8
120Samoa03 20064936.1------------
121Saint Lucia 312 20061815.601 200711218.2
122Jordan06 200311065.511 200555712.7
123Armenia05 200313175.3------------
124Sri Lanka04 2004225114.9------------
125Lebanon05 200512864.7------------
126Turkey11 2002550244.4------------
127Haiti02 20069844.102 200630413.3
"Iran (Islamic Rep. of)02 2004290124.1------------
128Vanuatu07 20045223.8------------
129Tonga03 20053013.3------------
130Kuwait 406 20066523.1------------
131Comoros04 20043313------------
"Marshall Islands11 20033313------------
132BhutanN.A.15042.7------------
133Bahrain11 20064012.512 2006401025
134Oman10 20038322.4N.A.58915.5
135Egypt11 20054429205 2004264186.8
136Papua New Guinea06 200210910.9------------
137Yemen04 200330110.304 200111121.8
138Kyrgyzstan02 20057200------------
"Micronesia (Fed. States of)03 20051400------------
"Nauru10 20041800------------
"Palau11 2004160011 2004800
"Qatar06 20053500------------
"Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041500------------
"Saudi Arabia04 200515000------------
"Solomon Islands04 20065000------------
"Tuvalu08 20061500------------
?Nigeria04 2007360??04 200710987.3
* Figures correspond to the number of seats currently filled in Parliament

1 - South Africa: The figures on the distribution of seats do not include the 36 special rotating delegates appointed on an ad hoc basis, and all percentages given are therefore calculated on the basis of the 54 permanent seats.

2 - Bangladesh: In 2004, the number of seats in parliament was raised from 300 to 345, with the addition of 45 reserved seats for women. These reserved seats were filled in September and October 2005, being allocated to political parties in proportion to their share of the national vote received in the 2001 election.

3 - Sainte-Lucia: No woman was elected in the 2006 elections. However one woman was appointed Speaker of the House and therefore became a member of the House.

4 - Kuwait: No woman candidate was elected in the 2006 elections. One woman was appointed to the 16-member cabinet sworn in in July 2006. A new cabinet sworn in in March 2007 included two women. As cabinet ministers also sit in parliament, there are two women out of a total of 65 members.

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