Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 31 October 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 October 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%
9Norway9 20091696639.1%------------
10Denmark11 20071796838.0%------------
11Angola9 20082208237.3%------------
12Costa Rica2 2006572136.8%------------
13Spain3 200835012736.3%3 20082637930.0%
14Andorra4 2009281035.7%------------
15Belgium6 20071505335.3%6 2007712738.0%
16New Zealand11 20081224133.6%------------
17Nepal4 200859419733.2%------------
18Germany9 200962220432.8%N.A.691521.7%
19Ecuador4 20091244032.3%------------
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%
27The F.Y.R. of Macedonia6 20081203428.3%------------
28Mexico7 200950014128.2%7 20061282318.0%
29Austria9 20081835127.9%N.A.611524.6%
30Portugal9 20092306427.8%------------
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%------------
41Monaco2 200824625.0%------------
42Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
43Lesotho2 20071192924.4%3 200731929.0%
44Liechtenstein2 200925624.0%------------
45Seychelles5 200734823.5%------------
46Honduras11 20051283023.4%------------
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%
53Cambodia7 20081232621.1%1 200661914.8%
54Croatia11 20071533220.9%------------
55Bulgaria7 20092405020.8%------------
"Estonia3 20071012120.8%------------
"Malawi5 20091924020.8%------------
56Philippines5 20072394920.5%5 200723417.4%
57Poland10 20074609320.2%10 200710088.0%
58Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
"Luxembourg6 2009601220.0%------------
59Dominican Republic5 20061783519.7%5 20063213.1%
60United Kingdom5 200564612619.5%N.A.74614719.7%
61Slovakia6 20061502919.3%------------
62El Salvador1 2009841619.0%------------
63Dominica5 200532618.8%------------
64Bangladesh12 20083456418.6%------------
"Venezuela12 20051673118.6%------------
65Nicaragua11 2006921718.5%------------
66France6 200757710518.2%9 20083437521.9%
"Indonesia4 200956010218.2%------------
"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines12 200522418.2%------------
67Cape Verde1 2006721318.1%------------
"Sudan8 20054438018.1%8 20055036.0%
68Lithuania10 20081412517.7%------------
69Israel2 20091202117.5%------------
"Tajikistan2 2005631117.5%3 200534823.5%
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.5%1 20051001515.0%
70Greece10 20093005217.3%------------
71Mauritius7 2005701217.1%------------
72Bolivia12 20051302216.9%12 20052713.7%
73Turkmenistan12 20081252116.8%------------
"United States of America 211 20084357316.8%11 2008981515.3%
74Gabon1 20091202016.7%1 20091021817.6%
75Albania6 20091402316.4%------------
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%------------
82Cyprus5 200656814.3%------------
83Russian Federation12 20074506314.0%N.A.16984.7%
84Cameroon7 20071802513.9%------------
85Djibouti2 200865913.8%------------
86Republic of Korea4 20082994113.7%------------
87Swaziland9 200866913.6%10 2008301240.0%
88Grenada7 200815213.3%8 200813430.8%
"Ireland5 20071662213.3%7 2007601321.7%
"Jamaica9 200760813.3%9 200721314.3%
"Slovenia9 2008901213.3%11 20074012.5%
89Sierra Leone8 20071211613.2%------------
90Liberia10 200564812.5%10 200530516.7%
"Paraguay4 2008801012.5%4 200845715.6%
91Syrian Arab Republic4 20072503112.4%------------
92Bahamas5 200741512.2%5 200715960.0%
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%
97Japan8 20094805411.3%7 20072424418.2%
98Hungary4 20063864311.1%------------
"Saint Lucia12 200618211.1%1 200711436.4%
"Togo10 200781911.1%------------
99Benin3 200383910.8%------------
"Malaysia3 20082222410.8%N.A.642031.3%
100India4 20095435810.7%7 2008243239.5%
101Antigua and Barbuda3 200919210.5%4 200917529.4%
"Central African Republic3 20051051110.5%------------
"Morocco9 20073253410.5%10 200927062.2%
102Mali7 20071471510.2%------------
103Barbados1 200830310.0%2 200821419.0%
"Equatorial Guinea5 20081001010.0%------------
"Guinea-Bissau11 20081001010.0%------------
104Kenya12 2007224229.8%------------
105Gambia1 20025359.4%------------
106Turkey7 2007549509.1%------------
107Brazil10 2006513469.0%10 2006811012.3%
108Cote d'Ivoire12 2000203188.9%------------
109Malta3 20086968.7%------------
110Bhutan3 20084748.5%12 200725624.0%
"Panama5 20097168.5%------------
111Armenia5 2007131118.4%------------
"Colombia3 2006166148.4%3 20061021211.8%
"Democratic Republic of the Congo7 2006500428.4%1 200710854.6%
112Ghana12 2008229198.3%------------
113Samoa3 20064948.2%------------
"Ukraine9 2007450378.2%------------
114Botswana10 20096357.9%------------
115Algeria5 2007389307.7%12 200613642.9%
"Kuwait5 20096557.7%------------
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2009468367.7%------------
116Congo6 2007137107.3%8 200870912.9%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065547.3%------------
117Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
118Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
119Maldives5 20097756.5%------------
120Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
121Montenegro3 20098156.2%------------
122Somalia8 2004539336.1%------------
123Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
124Chad4 200215585.2%------------
125Georgia5 200813775.1%------------
126Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
127Haiti2 20069844.1%4 20092926.9%
128Mongolia6 20087633.9%------------
129Vanuatu9 20085223.8%------------
130Lebanon6 200912843.1%------------
"Tonga 34 20083213.1%------------
131Comoros4 20043313.0%------------
"Marshall Islands11 20073313.0%------------
132Iran (Islamic Republic of)3 200829082.8%------------
133Bahrain11 20064012.5%12 2006401025.0%
134Egypt11 200544281.8%6 2007264186.8%
135Papua New Guinea6 200710910.9%------------
136Yemen4 200330110.3%4 200111121.8%
137Belize2 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%------------
?Mozambique10 2009250??------------
?Niger10 2009113??------------
?Tunisia10 2009214??8 20081121715.2%
?Uruguay10 200999??10 200931??
* 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.

Women in politicsHome pageAreas of activityFunctioning and documents