Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 30 June 2009

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 2009. 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
1Rwanda9 2008804556.3%10 200326934.6%
2Sweden9 200634916447.0%------------
3South Africa 14 200940017844.5%4 2009541629.6%
4Cuba1 200861426543.2%------------
5Iceland4 2009632742.9%------------
6Finland3 20072008341.5%------------
7Netherlands11 20061506241.3%5 2007752634.7%
8Denmark11 20071796838.0%------------
9Angola9 20082208237.3%------------
10Costa Rica2 2006572136.8%------------
11Spain3 200835012736.3%3 20082637930.0%
12Norway9 20051696136.1%------------
13Andorra4 2009281035.7%------------
14Belgium6 20071505335.3%6 2007712738.0%
15Mozambique12 20042508734.8%------------
16New Zealand11 20081224133.6%------------
17Nepal4 200859419733.2%------------
18Ecuador4 20091244032.3%------------
19Germany9 200561219732.2%N.A.691521.7%
20Belarus9 20081103531.8%7 2008561933.9%
21Uganda2 200633210230.7%------------
22Burundi7 20051183630.5%7 2005491734.7%
23United Republic of Tanzania12 20053199730.4%------------
24Guyana8 2006702130.0%------------
25Timor-Leste6 2007651929.2%------------
26Switzerland10 20072005728.5%10 2007461021.7%
27Portugal2 20052306528.3%------------
"The F.Y.R. of Macedonia6 20081203428.3%------------
28Austria9 20081835127.9%N.A.611524.6%
29Afghanistan9 20052426727.7%9 20051022221.6%
30Peru4 20061203327.5%------------
31Namibia11 2004782126.9%11 200426726.9%
32Trinidad and Tobago11 2007411126.8%12 2007311341.9%
33Australia11 20071504026.7%11 2007762735.5%
34Viet Nam5 200749312725.8%------------
35Kyrgyzstan12 2007902325.6%------------
36Iraq12 20052757025.5%------------
"Suriname5 2005511325.5%------------
37Lao People's Democratic Republic4 20061152925.2%------------
38Lesotho2 20071203025.0%3 200731929.0%
"Luxembourg6 2009601525.0%------------
"Monaco2 200824625.0%------------
39Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
40Liechtenstein2 200925624.0%------------
41Republic of Moldova4 20091012423.8%------------
42Seychelles5 200734823.5%------------
43Honduras11 20051283023.4%------------
44Mexico7 200650011623.2%7 20061282318.0%
45Tunisia10 20041894322.8%8 20081121715.2%
46Pakistan2 20083387622.5%3 20091001717.0%
"United Arab Emirates12 200640922.5%------------
47Canada10 20083086822.1%N.A.933234.4%
"Mauritania11 2006952122.1%1 200756916.1%
48Eritrea2 19941503322.0%------------
"Senegal6 20071503322.0%8 20071004040.0%
49Ethiopia5 200552911621.9%10 20051122118.8%
50Bulgaria6 20052405221.7%------------
51Serbia5 20082505421.6%------------
52China3 2008298763721.3%------------
"Italy4 200863013421.3%4 20083225818.0%
53Croatia11 20071533220.9%------------
54Estonia3 20071012120.8%------------
"Malawi5 20091924020.8%------------
55Philippines5 20072394920.5%5 200723417.4%
56Poland10 20074609320.2%10 200710088.0%
57Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
58Dominican Republic5 20061783519.7%5 20063213.1%
59United Kingdom5 200564612619.5%N.A.74614719.7%
60Slovakia6 20061502919.3%------------
61El Salvador1 2009841619.0%------------
62Dominica5 200532618.8%------------
63Bangladesh12 20083456418.6%------------
"Venezuela12 20051673118.6%------------
64Nicaragua11 2006921718.5%------------
65France6 200757710518.2%9 20083437521.9%
"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines12 200522418.2%------------
66Cape Verde1 2006721318.1%------------
"Sudan8 20054438018.1%8 20055036.0%
67Lithuania10 20081412517.7%------------
68Israel2 20091202117.5%------------
"Tajikistan2 2005631117.5%3 200534823.5%
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.5%1 20051001515.0%
69Mauritius7 2005701217.1%------------
70Bolivia12 20051302216.9%12 20052713.7%
71Turkmenistan12 20081252116.8%------------
"United States of America 211 20084357316.8%11 2008981515.3%
72Gabon1 20091202016.7%1 20091021817.6%
73Indonesia4 20095609316.6%------------
74Cambodia7 20081232016.3%1 200661914.8%
75Kazakhstan8 20071071715.9%10 20084724.3%
76Democratic People's Republic of Korea3 200968710715.6%------------
77Czech Republic6 20062003115.5%10 2008811417.3%
78Burkina Faso5 20071111715.3%------------
79Zambia9 20061582415.2%------------
"Zimbabwe3 20082103215.2%3 2008932324.7%
80Chile12 20051201815.0%12 20053825.3%
"San Marino11 200860915.0%------------
81Greece9 20073004414.7%------------
82Cyprus5 200656814.3%------------
83Russian Federation12 20074506314.0%N.A.16984.7%
84Cameroon7 20071802513.9%------------
85Djibouti2 200865913.8%------------
"Swaziland9 200865913.8%10 2008301240.0%
86Republic of Korea4 20082994113.7%------------
87Grenada7 200815213.3%8 200813430.8%
"Ireland5 20071662213.3%7 2007601321.7%
"Jamaica9 200760813.3%9 200721314.3%
"Slovenia9 2008901213.3%11 20074012.5%
88Sierra Leone8 20071211613.2%------------
89Liberia10 200564812.5%10 200530516.7%
"Paraguay4 2008801012.5%4 200845715.6%
90Niger12 20041131412.4%------------
"Syrian Arab Republic4 20072503112.4%------------
91Bahamas5 200741512.2%5 200715960.0%
92Uruguay10 2004991212.1%10 200431412.9%
93Guatemala9 20071581912.0%------------
94Bosnia and Herzegovina10 200642511.9%3 200715213.3%
95Thailand12 20074805611.7%3 20081502416.0%
96Azerbaijan11 20051231411.4%------------
"Romania11 20083343811.4%11 200813785.8%
97Botswana10 200463711.1%------------
"Hungary4 20063864311.1%------------
"Saint Lucia12 200618211.1%1 200711327.3%
"Togo10 200781911.1%------------
98Benin3 200383910.8%------------
"Malaysia3 20082222410.8%N.A.642031.3%
99India4 20095435810.7%7 2008243239.5%
100Antigua and Barbuda3 200919210.5%4 200917529.4%
"Central African Republic3 20051051110.5%------------
"Morocco9 20073253410.5%9 200627031.1%
101Mali7 20071471510.2%------------
102Barbados1 200830310.0%2 200821419.0%
"Equatorial Guinea5 20081001010.0%------------
"Guinea-Bissau11 20081001010.0%------------
103Kenya12 2007224229.8%------------
104Gambia1 20025359.4%------------
"Japan9 2005480459.4%7 20072424418.2%
105Turkey7 2007549509.1%------------
106Brazil10 2006513469.0%10 2006811012.3%
107Cote d'Ivoire12 2000203188.9%------------
108Malta3 20086968.7%------------
109Bhutan3 20084748.5%12 200725624.0%
"Panama5 20097168.5%------------
110Armenia5 2007131118.4%------------
"Colombia3 2006166148.4%3 20061021211.8%
"Democratic Republic of the Congo7 2006500428.4%1 200710854.6%
111Samoa3 20064948.2%------------
"Ukraine9 2007450378.2%------------
112Ghana12 2004228187.9%------------
113Algeria5 2007389307.7%12 200613642.9%
"Kuwait5 20086557.7%------------
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2009468367.7%------------
114Congo6 2007137107.3%8 200870912.9%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065547.3%------------
115Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
116Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
117Maldives5 20097656.6%------------
118Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
119Montenegro3 20098156.2%------------
120Somalia8 2004523315.9%------------
121Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
122Chad4 200215585.2%------------
123Georgia5 200813775.1%------------
124Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
125Haiti2 20069844.1%4 200918??
"Mongolia6 20087434.1%------------
126Vanuatu9 20085223.8%------------
127Lebanon6 200912843.1%------------
"Tonga 34 20083213.1%------------
128Comoros4 20043313.0%------------
"Marshall Islands11 20073313.0%------------
129Iran (Islamic Republic of)3 200828682.8%------------
130Bahrain11 20064012.5%12 2006401025.0%
131Egypt11 200544281.8%6 2007264186.8%
132Papua New Guinea6 200710910.9%------------
133Yemen4 200330110.3%4 200111121.8%
134Belize2 20083200.0%3 200813538.5%
"Micronesia (Federated States of)3 20091400.0%------------
"Nauru4 20081800.0%------------
"Oman10 20078400.0%11 2007701420.0%
"Palau11 20081600.0%11 200813215.4%
"Qatar7 20083500.0%------------
"Saudi Arabia2 200915000.0%------------
"Solomon Islands4 20065000.0%------------
"Tuvalu8 20061500.0%------------
135Albania6 2009140??------------
"Argentina6 2009255??6 200972??
* Figures correspond to the number of seats currently filled in Parliament

Guinea: The parliament was dissolved following the December 2008 coup

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 - United States of America: The total refers to all voting members of the House.

3 - Tonga: No women were elected in 2008, however one woman was appointed to the Cabinet. As cabinet ministers also sit in parliament, there is one woman out of a total of 32 members.

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