Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 30 November 2005

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 November 2005. 187 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 200234915845.3------------
3Norway09 20051696437.9------------
4Finland03 20032007537.5------------
5Denmark02 20051796636.9------------
6Netherlands01 20031505536.706 2003752229.3
7Cuba01 200360921936.0------------
"Spain03 200435012636.003 20042596023.2
8Costa Rica02 2002572035.1------------
9Mozambique12 20042508734.8------------
10Belgium05 20031505234.705 2003712738.0
11Austria11 20021836233.9N.A.621727.4
12Iceland05 2003632133.3------------
13South Africa 104 200440013132.804 2004541833.3
14New Zealand09 20051213932.2------------
15Germany09 200561419531.8N.A.691318.8
16Iraq01 20052738631.5------------
17Guyana03 2001652030.8------------
18Burundi07 20051183630.507 2005521732.7
19Seychelles12 2002341029.4------------
20Belarus10 20041103229.111 2004581831.0
21Andorra04 200528828.6------------
22Afghanistan09 20052496827.309 2005102??
"Viet Nam05 200249813627.3------------
23Namibia11 2004782126.911 200426726.9
24Grenada11 200315426.711 200313538.5
25Timor-Leste 208 2001872225.3------------
26Switzerland10 20032005025.010 2003461123.9
27Australia10 20041503724.710 2004762735.5
28Mexico07 200350012124.207 20001282821.9
29Liechtenstein03 200525624.0------------
30Uganda06 20013057323.9------------
31Luxembourg06 2004601423.3------------
32Lao People's Democratic Rep.02 20021092522.9------------
33Tunisia10 20041894322.807 20051121513.4
34Saint Vincent & the Grenadines03 200122522.7------------
35Bulgaria06 20052405322.1------------
36Eritrea02 19941503322.0------------
"Lithuania10 20041413122.0------------
37Republic of Moldova03 20051012221.8------------
38Croatia11 20031523321.7------------
39United Rep. of Tanzania10 20002956321.4------------
40Pakistan10 20023427321.303 20031001818.0
"Portugal02 20052304921.3------------
41Ethiopia05 200554611621.210 2005120??
42Canada06 20043086521.1N.A.893337.1
43Latvia10 20021002121.0------------
44Monaco02 200324520.8------------
45Nicaragua11 2001921920.7------------
46Poland09 20054609420.409 20051001313.0
47China02 2003298060420.3------------
48Dem. People's Rep. of Korea08 200368713820.1------------
49Bahamas05 200240820.005 200216743.8
50United Kingdom05 200564612719.7N.A.70712617.8
51Suriname05 2005511019.6------------
52Trinidad and Tobago10 200236719.410 2002311032.3
53Guinea06 20021142219.3------------
54Bolivia06 20021302519.206 200227311.1
"Senegal04 20011202319.2------------
"The F.Y.R. of Macedonia09 20021202319.2------------
55Estonia03 20031011918.8------------
56Peru04 20011202218.3------------
57Equatorial Guinea04 20041001818.0------------
58Tajikistan02 2005631117.503 200534823.5
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.501 20051001515.0
59Dominican Republic05 20021502617.305 20023226.3
60Mauritius07 2005701217.1------------
61Czech Republic06 20022003417.010 2004811012.3
62Bosnia and Herzegovina10 200242716.710.20021500.0
"Panama05 2004781316.7------------
"San Marino06 2001601016.7------------
"Slovakia09 20021502516.7------------
"Zimbabwe03 20051502516.711 2005662131.8
63Cyprus05 200156916.1------------
64Ecuador10 20021001616.0------------
"Singapore11 2001941516.0------------
"Turkmenistan12 200450816.0------------
65Philippines05 20042363615.305 200424416.7
66United States of America11 20044356615.211 20041001414.0
67Angola09 19922203315.0------------
"Israel01 20031201815.0------------
68Bangladesh 310 20013455114.8------------
69Sudan08 20054506614.708 20055024.0
70Sierra Leone05 20021241814.5------------
71Guinea-Bissau03 20041001414.0------------
72Malawi04 20041912613.6------------
73Republic of Korea04 20042994013.4------------
74Barbados05 200330413.305 200321523.8
"Ireland05 20021662213.307 2002601016.7
75Gambia01 200253713.2------------
76Greece03 20043003913.0------------
77Dominica05 200531412.9------------
78Zambia12 20011582012.7------------
79Chile12 20011201512.512 20014824.2
"Liberia10 200564812.510 200530516.7
80Niger11 20041131412.4------------
81France06 20025747012.209 20043315616.9
"Slovenia10 2004901112.212.20024037.5
82Colombia03 20021652012.103 200210298.8
83Dem. Republic of the Congo08 20035006012.008 200312032.5
"Maldives01 200550612.0------------
"Syrian Arab Republic03 20032503012.0------------
84Burkina Faso05 20021111311.7------------
"Jamaica10 200260711.710 200221419.0
"Lesotho05 20021201411.7N.A.331236.4
85Italy05 20016167111.505 2001321268.1
86Indonesia04 20045506211.3------------
87Romania11 20043313711.211 2004137139.5
88Botswana10 200463711.1------------
"Cape Verde01 200172811.1------------
"Saint Lucia12 200118211.112.200111436.4
"Uruguay10 2004991111.110 20043139.7
89Ghana12 20042302510.9------------
90Djibouti01 200365710.8------------
"Morocco09 20023253510.810 200327031.1
"Swaziland10 200365710.810 200330930.0
91El Salvador03 200384910.7------------
92Thailand02 20055005310.603 20002002110.5
93Antigua and Barbuda03 200419210.503 200417317.6
94Kazakhstan09 200477810.409 20043937.7
95Mali07 20021471510.2------------
96Paraguay04 200380810.004 20034548.9
97Cambodia07 2003123129.803 199961813.1
"Russian Federation12 2003447449.8N.A.17863.4
98Venezuela07 2000165169.7------------
99Georgia03 2004235229.4------------
100Gabon12 2001119119.202 2003911415.4
"Malta04 20036569.2------------
101Hungary04 2002385359.1------------
"Malaysia03 2004219209.103 2004701825.7
"Sao Tome and Principe03 20025559.1------------
102Japan09 2005480439.007 20042423414.0
103Cameroon06 2002180168.9------------
104BhutanN.A.150138.7------------
105Brazil10 2002513448.610 2002811012.3
106Congo05 2002129118.510 200560813.3
"Cote d'Ivoire12 2000223198.5------------
"Fiji08 20017168.508 200132412.5
107India04 2004543458.306 20042422811.6
108Guatemala11 2003158138.2------------
109Somalia08 2004275228.0------------
110Serbia and Montenegro 402 2003126107.9------------
111Togo10 20028167.4------------
112Benin03 20038367.2------------
113Albania07 2005140107.1------------
"Kenya12 2002224167.1------------
114Madagascar12 2002160116.903 2001901011.1
115Belize03 20033026.703 200312325.0
"Mongolia06 20047556.7------------
116Chad04 2002155106.5------------
117Nigeria04 2003360236.404 200310943.7
118Algeria05 2002389246.212 200314442.8
119Samoa03 20014936.1------------
120Nepal05 1999205125.906 20016058.3
121Jordan06 200311065.511 200355712.7
122Armenia05 200313175.3------------
"Ukraine03 2002450245.3------------
123Sri Lanka04 2004225114.9------------
124Kiribati05 20034224.8------------
125Lebanon05 200512864.7------------
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya03 1997760364.7------------
126Turkey11 2002550244.4------------
127Iran (Islamic Rep. of)02 2004290124.1------------
128Vanuatu07 20045223.8------------
129Haiti05 20008333.605 200027725.9
130Tonga03 20052913.4------------
131Kyrgyzstan02 20056323.2------------
132Comoros04 20043313.0------------
"Marshall Islands11 20033313.0------------
133Egypt11 2000454132.905 2004264186.8
134Oman10 20038322.4N.A.58915.5
135Kuwait07 20036511.5------------
136Papua New Guinea06 200210910.9------------
137Yemen04 200330110.304 200111121.8
138Bahrain10 20024000.011 200240615.0
"Micronesia (Fed. States of)03 20051400.0------------
"Nauru10 20041800.0------------
"Palau11 20041600.011 2004900.0
"Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041500.0------------
"Saudi Arabia04 200515000.0------------
"Solomon Islands12 20015000.0------------
"Tuvalu07 20021500.0------------
"United Arab Emirates02 20034000.0------------
?Argentina10 2005257??10 200572??
?Azerbaijan11 2005124??------------
?Central African Republic05 2005105??---------0.0
?Honduras11 2005128??------------
* 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 the percentages given are therefore calculated on the basis of the 54 permanent seats

2 - Timor-Leste: The purpose of elections held on 30 August 2001 was to elect members of the Constituent Assembly of Timor-Leste. This body became the National Parliament on 20 May 2002, the date on which the country became independent, without any new elections

3 - 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.

4 - Serbia and Montenegro: For the first time since Yugoslavia ceased to exist and the new State, Serbia and Montenegro, was created, indirect elections were held in the two assemblies of the two member states.

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