Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 31 December 2008

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 December 2008. 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%------------
3Cuba1 200861426543.2%------------
4Finland3 20072008341.5%------------
5Netherlands11 20061506241.3%5 2007752634.7%
6Argentina10 200725510240.0%10 2007722838.9%
7Denmark11 20071796838.0%------------
8Angola9 20082208237.3%------------
9Costa Rica2 2006572136.8%------------
10Spain3 200835012736.3%3 20082637930.0%
11Norway9 20051696136.1%------------
12Belgium6 20071505335.3%6 2007712738.0%
13Mozambique12 20042508734.8%------------
14New Zealand11 20081224133.6%------------
15Iceland5 2007632133.3%------------
16Nepal4 200859419733.2%------------
17South Africa 14 200440013233.0%4 2004542240.7%
18Germany9 200561219732.2%N.A.691521.7%
19Belarus9 20081103531.8%7 2008561933.9%
20The F.Y.R. of Macedonia6 20081203831.7%------------
21Uganda2 200633210230.7%------------
22Burundi7 20051183630.5%7 2005491734.7%
23United Republic of Tanzania12 20053199730.4%------------
24Guyana8 2006702130.0%------------
25Peru4 20061203529.2%------------
"Timor-Leste6 2007651929.2%------------
26Switzerland10 20072005728.5%10 2007461021.7%
27Portugal2 20052306528.3%------------
28Afghanistan9 20052426727.7%9 20051022221.6%
29Austria9 20081835027.3%N.A.611524.6%
30Namibia11 2004782126.9%11 200426726.9%
31Trinidad and Tobago11 2007411126.8%12 2007311341.9%
32Australia11 20071504026.7%11 2007762735.5%
33Viet Nam5 200749312725.8%------------
34Kyrgyzstan12 2007902325.6%------------
35Iraq12 20052757025.5%------------
"Suriname5 2005511325.5%------------
36Lao People's Democratic Republic4 20061152925.2%------------
37Andorra4 200528725.0%------------
"Ecuador10 20061002525.0%------------
"Lesotho2 20071203025.0%3 200731929.0%
"Monaco2 200824625.0%------------
38Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
39Liechtenstein3 200525624.0%------------
40Seychelles5 200734823.5%------------
41Honduras11 20051283023.4%------------
42Luxembourg6 2004601423.3%------------
43Mexico7 200650011623.2%7 20061282318.0%
44Tunisia10 20041894322.8%8 20081121715.2%
45Pakistan2 20083387622.5%3 20061001717.0%
"United Arab Emirates12 200640922.5%------------
46Canada10 20083086822.1%N.A.933234.4%
"Mauritania11 2006952122.1%1 200756916.1%
47Eritrea2 19941503322.0%------------
"Senegal6 20071503322.0%8 20071004040.0%
48Ethiopia5 200552911621.9%10 20051122118.8%
49Republic of Moldova3 20051012221.8%------------
50Bulgaria6 20052405221.7%------------
51Serbia5 20082505421.6%------------
52China3 2008298763721.3%------------
"Italy4 200863013421.3%4 20083225818.0%
53Croatia11 20071533220.9%------------
54Estonia3 20071012120.8%------------
55Philippines5 20072394920.5%5 200723417.4%
56Poland10 20074609320.2%10 200710088.0%
57Democratic People's Republic of Korea8 200368713820.1%------------
58Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
59Dominican Republic5 20061783519.7%5 20063213.1%
60United Kingdom5 200564612619.5%N.A.74614719.7%
61Slovakia6 20061502919.3%------------
62Dominica5 200532618.8%------------
63Venezuela12 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%------------
68Tajikistan2 2005631117.5%3 200534823.5%
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.5%1 20051001515.0%
69Mauritius7 2005701217.1%------------
70United States of America 211 20084357417.0%11 20081001717.0%
71Bolivia12 20051302216.9%12 20052713.7%
72El Salvador3 2006841416.7%------------
"Gabon12 20011202016.7%2 2003911415.4%
"Panama5 2004781316.7%------------
73Cambodia7 20081232016.3%1 200661914.8%
74Kazakhstan8 20071071715.9%10 20084724.3%
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%------------
81Israel3 20061201714.2%------------
82Russian Federation12 20074506314.0%N.A.16984.7%
83Cameroon7 20071802513.9%------------
84Djibouti2 200865913.8%------------
"Swaziland9 200865913.8%10 2008301240.0%
85Republic of Korea4 20082994113.7%------------
86Grenada7 200815213.3%8 200813430.8%
"Ireland5 20071662213.3%7 2007601321.7%
"Jamaica9 200760813.3%9 200721314.3%
"Slovenia9 2008901213.3%11 20074012.5%
87Sierra Leone8 20071211613.2%------------
88Malawi5 20041932513.0%------------
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%------------
"Maldives1 200550612.0%------------
94Bosnia and Herzegovina10 200642511.9%3 200715213.3%
95Thailand12 20074805611.7%3 20081502416.0%
96Indonesia4 20045506411.6%------------
97Azerbaijan11 20051231411.4%------------
"Romania11 20083343811.4%11 200813785.8%
98Botswana10 200463711.1%------------
"Hungary4 20063864311.1%------------
"Montenegro9 200681911.1%------------
"Saint Lucia12 200618211.1%1 200711327.3%
"Togo10 200781911.1%------------
99Benin3 200383910.8%------------
"Malaysia3 20082222410.8%N.A.591728.8%
100Antigua and Barbuda3 200419210.5%3 200417423.5%
"Central African Republic3 20051051110.5%------------
"Morocco9 20073253410.5%9 200627031.1%
101Mali7 20071471510.2%------------
102Barbados1 200830310.0%2 200821419.0%
"Guinea-Bissau11 20081001010.0%------------
103Kenya12 2007224229.8%------------
104Gambia1 20025359.4%------------
"Japan9 2005480459.4%7 20072424418.2%
105India4 2004541499.1%6 2008243239.5%
"Turkey7 2007549509.1%------------
106Brazil10 2006513469.0%10 2006811012.3%
107Cote d'Ivoire12 2000203188.9%------------
108Malta3 20086968.7%------------
109Bhutan3 20084748.5%12 200725624.0%
110Armenia5 2007131118.4%------------
"Colombia3 2006166148.4%3 20061021211.8%
"Democratic Republic of the Congo7 2006500428.4%1 200710854.6%
111Samoa3 20064948.2%------------
"Somalia8 2004256218.2%------------
"Ukraine9 2007450378.2%------------
112Ghana12 2008228187.9%------------
"Madagascar9 2007127107.9%4 200833515.2%
113Algeria5 2007389307.7%12 200613642.9%
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2006468367.7%------------
114Congo6 2007137107.3%8 200870912.9%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065547.3%------------
115Albania7 2005140107.1%------------
116Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
117Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
118Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
119Bangladesh 312 2008300196.3%------------
120Equatorial Guinea5 200810066.0%------------
"Georgia5 200815096.0%------------
121Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
122Chad4 200215585.2%------------
123Lebanon5 200512864.7%------------
124Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
125Mongolia6 20087234.2%------------
126Haiti2 20069844.1%2 200618211.1%
127Vanuatu9 20085223.8%------------
128Kuwait 45 20086523.1%------------
"Tonga 54 20083213.1%------------
129Comoros4 20043313.0%------------
"Marshall Islands11 20073313.0%------------
130Iran (Islamic Republic of)3 200828682.8%------------
131Bahrain11 20064012.5%12 2006401025.0%
132Egypt11 200544281.8%6 2007264186.8%
133Papua New Guinea6 200710910.9%------------
134Yemen4 200330110.3%4 200111121.8%
135Belize2 20083200.0%3 200813538.5%
"Micronesia (Federated States of)3 20051400.0%------------
"Nauru4 20081800.0%------------
"Oman10 20078400.0%11 2007701420.0%
"Palau11 20081600.0%11 200813215.4%
"Qatar7 20083500.0%------------
"Saudi Arabia4 200515000.0%------------
"Solomon Islands4 20065000.0%------------
"Tuvalu8 20061500.0%------------
136Turkmenistan12 2008124??------------
* 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 - Bangladesh: 45 reserved seats reserved for women are yet to be filled.

4 - Kuwait: No woman candidate was elected in the 2008 elections. Two women were appointed to the 16-member cabinet sworn in in June 2008. As cabinet ministers also sit in parliament, there are two women out of a total of 65 members.

5 - 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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