Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 31 July 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 31 July 2009. 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
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%
"Monaco2 200824625.0%------------
39Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
40Liechtenstein2 200925624.0%------------
41Seychelles5 200734823.5%------------
42Honduras11 20051283023.4%------------
43Tunisia10 20041894322.8%8 20081121715.2%
44Pakistan2 20083387622.5%3 20091001717.0%
"United Arab Emirates12 200640922.5%------------
45Canada10 20083086822.1%N.A.933234.4%
"Mauritania11 2006952122.1%1 200756916.1%
46Eritrea2 19941503322.0%------------
"Senegal6 20071503322.0%8 20071004040.0%
47Ethiopia5 200552911621.9%10 20051122118.8%
48Serbia5 20082505421.6%------------
49China3 2008298763721.3%------------
"Italy4 200863013421.3%4 20083225818.0%
50Croatia11 20071533220.9%------------
51Bulgaria7 20092405020.8%------------
"Estonia3 20071012120.8%------------
52Malawi5 20091903920.5%------------
"Philippines5 20072394920.5%5 200723417.4%
53Poland10 20074609320.2%10 200710088.0%
54Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
"Luxembourg6 2009601220.0%------------
55Dominican Republic5 20061783519.7%5 20063213.1%
56United Kingdom5 200564612619.5%N.A.74614719.7%
57Slovakia6 20061502919.3%------------
58El Salvador1 2009841619.0%------------
59Dominica5 200532618.8%------------
60Bangladesh12 20083456418.6%------------
"Venezuela12 20051673118.6%------------
61Nicaragua11 2006921718.5%------------
62France6 200757710518.2%9 20083437521.9%
"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines12 200522418.2%------------
63Cape Verde1 2006721318.1%------------
"Sudan8 20054438018.1%8 20055036.0%
64Lithuania10 20081412517.7%------------
65Israel2 20091202117.5%------------
"Tajikistan2 2005631117.5%3 200534823.5%
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.5%1 20051001515.0%
66Mauritius7 2005701217.1%------------
67Bolivia12 20051302216.9%12 20052713.7%
68Turkmenistan12 20081252116.8%------------
"United States of America 211 20084357316.8%11 2008981515.3%
69Gabon1 20091202016.7%1 20091021817.6%
70Indonesia4 20095609316.6%------------
71Albania6 20091402316.4%------------
72Cambodia7 20081232016.3%1 200661914.8%
73Kazakhstan8 20071071715.9%10 20084724.3%
74Democratic People's Republic of Korea3 200968710715.6%------------
75Czech Republic6 20062003115.5%10 2008811417.3%
76Burkina Faso5 20071111715.3%------------
77Zambia9 20061582415.2%------------
"Zimbabwe3 20082103215.2%3 2008932324.7%
78Chile12 20051201815.0%12 20053825.3%
"San Marino11 200860915.0%------------
79Greece9 20073004414.7%------------
80Cyprus5 200656814.3%------------
81Russian Federation12 20074506314.0%N.A.16984.7%
82Cameroon7 20071802513.9%------------
83Djibouti2 200865913.8%------------
"Swaziland9 200865913.8%10 2008301240.0%
84Republic of Korea4 20082994113.7%------------
85Grenada7 200815213.3%8 200813430.8%
"Ireland5 20071662213.3%7 2007601321.7%
"Jamaica9 200760813.3%9 200721314.3%
"Slovenia9 2008901213.3%11 20074012.5%
86Sierra Leone8 20071211613.2%------------
87Liberia10 200564812.5%10 200530516.7%
"Paraguay4 2008801012.5%4 200845715.6%
88Niger12 20041131412.4%------------
"Syrian Arab Republic4 20072503112.4%------------
89Bahamas5 200741512.2%5 200715960.0%
90Uruguay10 2004991212.1%10 200431412.9%
91Guatemala9 20071581912.0%------------
92Bosnia and Herzegovina10 200642511.9%3 200715213.3%
93Thailand12 20074805611.7%3 20081502416.0%
94Azerbaijan11 20051231411.4%------------
"Romania11 20083343811.4%11 200813785.8%
95Botswana10 200463711.1%------------
"Hungary4 20063864311.1%------------
"Saint Lucia12 200618211.1%1 200711327.3%
"Togo10 200781911.1%------------
96Benin3 200383910.8%------------
"Malaysia3 20082222410.8%N.A.642031.3%
97India4 20095435810.7%7 2008243239.5%
98Antigua and Barbuda3 200919210.5%4 200917529.4%
"Central African Republic3 20051051110.5%------------
"Morocco9 20073253410.5%9 200627031.1%
99Mali7 20071471510.2%------------
100Barbados1 200830310.0%2 200821419.0%
"Equatorial Guinea5 20081001010.0%------------
"Guinea-Bissau11 20081001010.0%------------
101Kenya12 2007224229.8%------------
102Gambia1 20025359.4%------------
"Japan9 2005480459.4%7 20072424418.2%
103Turkey7 2007549509.1%------------
104Brazil10 2006513469.0%10 2006811012.3%
105Cote d'Ivoire12 2000203188.9%------------
106Malta3 20086968.7%------------
107Bhutan3 20084748.5%12 200725624.0%
"Panama5 20097168.5%------------
108Armenia5 2007131118.4%------------
"Colombia3 2006166148.4%3 20061021211.8%
"Democratic Republic of the Congo7 2006500428.4%1 200710854.6%
109Samoa3 20064948.2%------------
"Ukraine9 2007450378.2%------------
110Ghana12 2004228187.9%------------
111Algeria5 2007389307.7%12 200613642.9%
"Kuwait5 20086557.7%------------
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2009468367.7%------------
112Congo6 2007137107.3%8 200870912.9%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065547.3%------------
113Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
114Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
115Maldives5 20097756.5%------------
116Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
117Montenegro3 20098156.2%------------
118Somalia8 2004523315.9%------------
119Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
120Chad4 200215585.2%------------
121Georgia5 200813775.1%------------
122Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
123Haiti2 20069844.1%4 200918211.1%
124Mongolia6 20087534.0%------------
125Vanuatu9 20085223.8%------------
126Lebanon6 200912843.1%------------
"Tonga 34 20083213.1%------------
127Comoros4 20043313.0%------------
"Marshall Islands11 20073313.0%------------
128Iran (Islamic Republic of)3 200828682.8%------------
129Bahrain11 20064012.5%12 2006401025.0%
130Egypt11 200544281.8%6 2007264186.8%
131Papua New Guinea6 200710910.9%------------
132Yemen4 200330110.3%4 200111121.8%
133Belize2 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%------------
134Argentina6 2009255??6 200972??
"Mexico7 2009500??7 20061282318.0%
"Republic of Moldova7 2009101??------------
* 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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