Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 30 June 2008

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 June 2008. 188 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
1Rwanda10 2003803948.8%9 200326934.6%
2Sweden9 200634916447.0%------------
3Cuba1 200861426543.2%------------
4Finland3 20072008341.5%------------
5Argentina10 200725510240.0%10 2007722838.9%
6Netherlands11 20061505939.3%5 2007752634.7%
7Denmark11 20071796838.0%------------
8Costa Rica2 2006572136.8%------------
9Spain3 200835012736.3%3 20082637930.0%
10Norway9 20051696136.1%------------
11Belgium6 20071505335.3%6 2007712738.0%
12Mozambique12 20042508734.8%------------
13Nepal4 200856819133.6%------------
14Iceland5 2007632133.3%------------
15New Zealand9 20051214033.1%------------
16South Africa 14 200440013233.0%4 2004542240.7%
17Austria10 20061836032.8%N.A.611524.6%
18Germany9 200561319431.6%N.A.691521.7%
19Uganda2 200633210230.7%------------
20Burundi7 20051183630.5%7 2005491734.7%
21United Republic of Tanzania12 20053199730.4%------------
22The F.Y.R. of Macedonia6 20081203630.0%------------
23Peru4 20061203529.2%------------
"Timor-Leste6 2007651929.2%------------
24Belarus10 20041103229.1%11 2004581831.0%
25Guyana8 2006692029.0%------------
26Switzerland10 20072005728.5%10 2007461021.7%
27Portugal2 20052306528.3%------------
28Afghanistan9 20052426727.7%9 20051022221.6%
29Namibia11 2004782126.9%11 200426726.9%
30Trinidad and Tobago11 2007411126.8%12 2007311341.9%
31Australia11 20071504026.7%11 2007762735.5%
"Grenada11 200315426.7%11 200313430.8%
32Viet Nam5 200749312725.8%------------
33Kyrgyzstan12 2007902325.6%------------
34Iraq12 20052757025.5%------------
"Suriname5 2005511325.5%------------
35Lao People's Democratic Republic4 20061152925.2%------------
36Andorra4 200528725.0%------------
"Ecuador10 20061002525.0%------------
"Lesotho2 20071203025.0%3 200731929.0%
"Monaco2 200824625.0%------------
37Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
38Liechtenstein3 200525624.0%------------
39Seychelles5 200734823.5%------------
40Honduras11 20051283023.4%------------
41Luxembourg6 2004601423.3%------------
42Mexico7 200650011623.2%7 20061282318.0%
43Tunisia10 20041894322.8%7 20051111715.3%
44Lithuania10 20041413222.7%------------
45Pakistan2 20083387622.5%3 20061001717.0%
"United Arab Emirates12 200640922.5%------------
46Mauritania11 2006952122.1%1 200756916.1%
47Eritrea2 19941503322.0%------------
"Senegal6 20071503322.0%8 20071004040.0%
48Ethiopia5 200552911621.9%10 20051122118.8%
49Republic of Moldova3 20051012221.8%------------
50Bulgaria6 20052405221.7%------------
51Serbia5 20082505421.6%------------
52Canada1 20063056521.3%N.A.933234.4%
"China3 2008298763721.3%------------
"Italy4 200863013421.3%4 20083225818.0%
53Croatia11 20071533220.9%------------
54Estonia3 20071012120.8%------------
55Philippines5 20072394920.5%5 200723417.4%
56Poland10 20074609320.2%10 200710088.0%
57Democratic People's Republic of Korea8 200368713820.1%------------
58Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
59Dominican Republic5 20061783519.7%5 20063213.1%
60Cambodia7 20031232419.5%1 200661914.8%
"United Kingdom5 200564612619.5%N.A.75014819.7%
61Dominica5 200531619.4%------------
62Guinea6 20021142219.3%------------
"Slovakia6 20061502919.3%------------
63Venezuela12 20051673118.6%------------
64Nicaragua11 2006921718.5%------------
65France6 200757710518.2%9 20043306018.2%
"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines12 200522418.2%------------
66Cape Verde1 2006721318.1%------------
"Sudan8 20054438018.1%8 20055036.0%
67Tajikistan2 2005631117.5%3 200534823.5%
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.5%1 20051001515.0%
68Mauritius7 2005701217.1%------------
69Bolivia12 20051302216.9%12 20052713.7%
70United States of America11 20064357316.8%11 20061001616.0%
71El Salvador3 2006841416.7%------------
"Gabon12 20011202016.7%2 2003911415.4%
"Panama5 2004781316.7%------------
72Turkmenistan12 200450816.0%------------
73Kazakhstan8 20071071715.9%8 20054724.3%
74Czech Republic6 20062003115.5%10 2006811113.6%
75Burkina Faso5 20071111715.3%------------
76Zambia9 20061582415.2%------------
77Angola9 19922203315.0%------------
"Chile12 20051201815.0%12 20053825.3%
78Greece9 20073004414.7%------------
79Cyprus5 200656814.3%------------
80Israel3 20061201714.2%------------
81Guinea-Bissau3 20041001414.0%------------
"Russian Federation12 20074506314.0%N.A.16984.7%
82Cameroon7 20071802513.9%------------
83Djibouti2 200865913.8%------------
84Republic of Korea4 20082994113.7%------------
85Ireland5 20071662213.3%7 2007601321.7%
"Jamaica9 200760813.3%9 200721314.3%
"Zimbabwe3 20082102813.3%3 200893?#VALEU
86Sierra Leone8 20071211613.2%------------
87Malawi5 20041932513.0%------------
88Liberia10 200564812.5%10 200530516.7%
"Paraguay4 2008801012.5%4 200845715.6%
89Niger12 20041131412.4%------------
"Syrian Arab Republic4 20072503112.4%------------
90Bahamas5 200741512.2%5 200715960.0%
"Slovenia10 2004901112.2%12 20024012.5%
91Uruguay10 2004991212.1%10 200431412.9%
92Guatemala9 20071581912.0%------------
"Maldives1 200550612.0%------------
93Bosnia and Herzegovina10 200642511.9%3 200715213.3%
94San Marino6 200660711.7%------------
"Thailand12 20074805611.7%3 20081502416.0%
95Indonesia4 20045506411.6%------------
96Azerbaijan11 20051231411.4%------------
97Botswana10 200463711.1%------------
"Hungary4 20063864311.1%------------
"Montenegro9 200681911.1%------------
"Saint Lucia12 200618211.1%1 200711327.3%
"Togo10 200781911.1%------------
98Ghana12 20042302510.9%------------
99Benin3 200383910.8%------------
"Malaysia3 20082222410.8%N.A.591728.8%
"Swaziland10 200365710.8%10 2003301136.7%
100Antigua and Barbuda3 200419210.5%3 200417423.5%
"Central African Republic3 20051051110.5%------------
"Morocco9 20073253410.5%9 200627031.1%
101Mali7 20071471510.2%------------
102Barbados1 200830310.0%2 200821419.0%
103Gambia1 20025359.4%------------
"Japan9 2005480459.4%7 20072424418.2%
"Romania11 2004330319.4%11 20041371410.2%
104Armenia5 2007131129.2%------------
105India4 2004541499.1%7 2006243249.9%
"Turkey7 2007549509.1%------------
106Brazil10 2006513469.0%10 2006811012.3%
107Cote d'Ivoire12 2000203188.9%------------
"Kenya12 2007224208.9%------------
108Malta3 20086968.7%------------
109Bhutan3 20084748.5%12 200725624.0%
110Colombia3 2006166148.4%3 20061021211.8%
"Democratic Republic of the Congo7 2006500428.4%1 200710854.6%
111Samoa3 20064948.2%------------
"Somalia8 2004256218.2%------------
"Ukraine9 2007450378.2%------------
112Madagascar9 2007127107.9%4 200833412.1%
113Algeria5 2007389307.7%12 200613642.9%
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2006468367.7%------------
114Congo6 2007137107.3%10 200560813.3%
115Albania7 2005140107.1%------------
116Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
117Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
118Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
119Equatorial Guinea5 200810066.0%------------
"Georgia5 200815096.0%------------
120Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
121Chad4 200215585.2%------------
122Lebanon5 200512864.7%------------
123Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
124Haiti2 20069844.1%2 200618211.1%
125Vanuatu7 20045223.8%------------
126Tonga4 20083013.3%------------
127Kuwait 25 20086523.1%------------
128Comoros4 20043313.0%------------
"Marshall Islands11 20073313.0%------------
"Mongolia6 20086623.0%------------
129Iran (Islamic Republic of)3 200828682.8%------------
130Bahrain11 20064012.5%12 2006401025.0%
131Egypt11 200544281.8%6 2007264186.8%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065511.8%------------
132Papua New Guinea6 200710910.9%------------
133Yemen4 200330110.3%4 200111121.8%
134Belize2 20083200.0%3 200813538.5%
"Micronesia (Federated States of)3 20051400.0%------------
"Nauru4 20081800.0%------------
"Oman10 20078400.0%11 2007701420.0%
"Palau11 20041600.0%11 2004900.0%
"Qatar6 20073500.0%------------
"Saudi Arabia4 200515000.0%------------
"Solomon Islands4 20065000.0%------------
"Tuvalu8 20061500.0%------------
* Figures correspond to the number of seats currently filled in Parliament

Bangladesh: The parliament was dissolved on 27 October 2006, in view of elections that are yet to take place. Women held 52 of the 345 seats (15%) in the outgoing 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 - Kuwait: No woman candidate was elected in the 2008 elections. Two women were appointed to the 16-member cabinet sworn in in June 2008. As cabinet ministers also sit in parliament, there are two women out of a total of 65 members.

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