Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 31 August 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 August 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%------------
6Argentina6 200925710741.6%6 2009722737.5%
7Finland3 20072008341.5%------------
8Netherlands11 20061506241.3%5 2007752634.7%
9Denmark11 20071796838.0%------------
10Angola9 20082208237.3%------------
11Costa Rica2 2006572136.8%------------
12Spain3 200835012736.3%3 20082637930.0%
13Norway9 20051696136.1%------------
14Andorra4 2009281035.7%------------
15Belgium6 20071505335.3%6 2007712738.0%
16Mozambique12 20042508734.8%------------
17New Zealand11 20081224133.6%------------
18Nepal4 200859419733.2%------------
19Ecuador4 20091244032.3%------------
20Germany9 200561219732.2%N.A.691521.7%
21Belarus9 20081103531.8%7 2008561933.9%
22Uganda2 200633210230.7%------------
23Burundi7 20051183630.5%7 2005491734.7%
24United Republic of Tanzania12 20053199730.4%------------
25Guyana8 2006702130.0%------------
26Timor-Leste6 2007651929.2%------------
27Switzerland10 20072005728.5%10 2007461021.7%
28Portugal2 20052306528.3%------------
"The F.Y.R. of Macedonia6 20081203428.3%------------
29Mexico7 200950014128.2%7 20061282318.0%
30Austria9 20081835127.9%N.A.611524.6%
31Afghanistan9 20052426727.7%9 20051022221.6%
32Peru4 20061203327.5%------------
33Namibia11 2004782126.9%11 200426726.9%
34Trinidad and Tobago11 2007411126.8%12 2007311341.9%
35Australia11 20071504026.7%11 2007762735.5%
36Viet Nam5 200749312725.8%------------
37Republic of Moldova7 20091012625.7%------------
38Kyrgyzstan12 2007902325.6%------------
39Iraq12 20052757025.5%------------
"Suriname5 2005511325.5%------------
40Lao People's Democratic Republic4 20061152925.2%------------
41Lesotho2 20071203025.0%3 200731929.0%
"Monaco2 200824625.0%------------
42Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
43Liechtenstein2 200925624.0%------------
44Seychelles5 200734823.5%------------
45Honduras11 20051283023.4%------------
46Tunisia10 20041894322.8%8 20081121715.2%
47Pakistan2 20083387622.5%3 20091001717.0%
"United Arab Emirates12 200640922.5%------------
48Canada10 20083086822.1%N.A.933234.4%
"Mauritania11 2006952122.1%1 200756916.1%
49Eritrea2 19941503322.0%------------
"Senegal6 20071503322.0%8 20071004040.0%
50Ethiopia5 200552911621.9%10 20051122118.8%
51Serbia5 20082505421.6%------------
52China3 2008298763721.3%------------
"Italy4 200863013421.3%4 20083225818.0%
53Croatia11 20071533220.9%------------
54Bulgaria7 20092405020.8%------------
"Estonia3 20071012120.8%------------
"Malawi5 20091924020.8%------------
55Philippines5 20072394920.5%5 200723417.4%
56Poland10 20074609320.2%10 200710088.0%
57Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
"Luxembourg6 2009601220.0%------------
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%------------
74Albania6 20091402316.4%------------
75Cambodia7 20081232016.3%1 200661914.8%
76Kazakhstan8 20071071715.9%10 20084724.3%
77Democratic People's Republic of Korea3 200968710715.6%------------
78Czech Republic6 20062003115.5%10 2008811417.3%
79Burkina Faso5 20071111715.3%------------
80Zambia9 20061582415.2%------------
"Zimbabwe3 20082103215.2%3 2008932324.7%
81Chile12 20051201815.0%12 20053825.3%
"San Marino11 200860915.0%------------
82Greece9 20073004414.7%------------
83Cyprus5 200656814.3%------------
84Russian Federation12 20074506314.0%N.A.16984.7%
85Cameroon7 20071802513.9%------------
86Djibouti2 200865913.8%------------
87Republic of Korea4 20082994113.7%------------
88Swaziland9 200866913.6%10 2008301240.0%
89Grenada7 200815213.3%8 200813430.8%
"Ireland5 20071662213.3%7 2007601321.7%
"Jamaica9 200760813.3%9 200721314.3%
"Slovenia9 2008901213.3%11 20074012.5%
90Sierra Leone8 20071211613.2%------------
91Liberia10 200564812.5%10 200530516.7%
"Paraguay4 2008801012.5%4 200845715.6%
92Niger12 20041131412.4%------------
"Syrian Arab Republic4 20072503112.4%------------
93Bahamas5 200741512.2%5 200715960.0%
94Uruguay10 2004991212.1%10 200431412.9%
95Guatemala9 20071581912.0%------------
96Bosnia and Herzegovina10 200642511.9%3 200715213.3%
97Thailand12 20074805611.7%3 20081502416.0%
98Azerbaijan11 20051231411.4%------------
"Romania11 20083343811.4%11 200813785.8%
99Japan8 20094805411.3%7 20072424418.2%
100Botswana10 200463711.1%------------
"Hungary4 20063864311.1%------------
"Saint Lucia12 200618211.1%1 200711436.4%
"Togo10 200781911.1%------------
101Benin3 200383910.8%------------
"Malaysia3 20082222410.8%N.A.642031.3%
102India4 20095435810.7%7 2008243239.5%
103Antigua and Barbuda3 200919210.5%4 200917529.4%
"Central African Republic3 20051051110.5%------------
"Morocco9 20073253410.5%9 200627031.1%
104Mali7 20071471510.2%------------
105Barbados1 200830310.0%2 200821419.0%
"Equatorial Guinea5 20081001010.0%------------
"Guinea-Bissau11 20081001010.0%------------
106Kenya12 2007224229.8%------------
107Gambia1 20025359.4%------------
108Turkey7 2007549509.1%------------
109Brazil10 2006513469.0%10 2006811012.3%
110Cote d'Ivoire12 2000203188.9%------------
111Malta3 20086968.7%------------
112Bhutan3 20084748.5%12 200725624.0%
"Panama5 20097168.5%------------
113Armenia5 2007131118.4%------------
"Colombia3 2006166148.4%3 20061021211.8%
"Democratic Republic of the Congo7 2006500428.4%1 200710854.6%
114Ghana12 2008229198.3%------------
115Samoa3 20064948.2%------------
"Ukraine9 2007450378.2%------------
116Algeria5 2007389307.7%12 200613642.9%
"Kuwait5 20086557.7%------------
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2009468367.7%------------
117Congo6 2007137107.3%8 200870912.9%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065547.3%------------
118Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
119Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
120Maldives5 20097756.5%------------
121Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
122Montenegro3 20098156.2%------------
123Somalia8 2004539336.1%------------
124Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
125Chad4 200215585.2%------------
126Georgia5 200813775.1%------------
127Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
128Haiti2 20069844.1%4 200918211.1%
129Mongolia6 20087534.0%------------
130Vanuatu9 20085223.8%------------
131Lebanon6 200912843.1%------------
"Tonga 34 20083213.1%------------
132Comoros4 20043313.0%------------
"Marshall Islands11 20073313.0%------------
133Iran (Islamic Republic of)3 200829082.8%------------
134Bahrain11 20064012.5%12 2006401025.0%
135Egypt11 200544281.8%6 2007264186.8%
136Papua New Guinea6 200710910.9%------------
137Yemen4 200330110.3%4 200111121.8%
138Belize2 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%------------
* 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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