Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 30 April 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 30 April 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%------------
3Cuba1 200861426543.2%------------
4Iceland4 2009632742.9%------------
5Finland3 20072008341.5%------------
6Netherlands11 20061506241.3%5 2007752634.7%
7Argentina10 200725510240.0%10 2007722838.9%
8Denmark11 20071796838.0%------------
9Angola9 20082208237.3%------------
10Costa Rica2 2006572136.8%------------
11Spain3 200835012736.3%3 20082637930.0%
12Norway9 20051696136.1%------------
13Belgium6 20071505335.3%6 2007712738.0%
14Mozambique12 20042508734.8%------------
15New Zealand11 20081224133.6%------------
16Nepal4 200859419733.2%------------
17Germany9 200561219732.2%N.A.691521.7%
18Andorra4 200928932.1%------------
19Belarus9 20081103531.8%7 2008561933.9%
20Uganda2 200633210230.7%------------
21Burundi7 20051183630.5%7 2005491734.7%
22United Republic of Tanzania12 20053199730.4%------------
23Guyana8 2006702130.0%------------
24Timor-Leste6 2007651929.2%------------
25Switzerland10 20072005728.5%10 2007461021.7%
26Portugal2 20052306528.3%------------
"The F.Y.R. of Macedonia6 20081203428.3%------------
27Austria9 20081835127.9%N.A.611524.6%
28Afghanistan9 20052426727.7%9 20051022221.6%
29Peru4 20061203327.5%------------
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%------------
37Lesotho2 20071203025.0%3 200731929.0%
"Monaco2 200824625.0%------------
38Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
39Liechtenstein2 200925624.0%------------
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 20091001717.0%
"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%
49Bulgaria6 20052405221.7%------------
50Serbia5 20082505421.6%------------
51China3 2008298763721.3%------------
"Italy4 200863013421.3%4 20083225818.0%
52Croatia11 20071533220.9%------------
53Estonia3 20071012120.8%------------
54Philippines5 20072394920.5%5 200723417.4%
55Poland10 20074609320.2%10 200710088.0%
56Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
57Dominican Republic5 20061783519.7%5 20063213.1%
58United Kingdom5 200564612619.5%N.A.74614719.7%
59Slovakia6 20061502919.3%------------
60El Salvador1 2009841619.0%------------
61Dominica5 200532618.8%------------
62Bangladesh12 20083456418.6%------------
"Venezuela12 20051673118.6%------------
63Nicaragua11 2006921718.5%------------
64France6 200757710518.2%9 20083437521.9%
"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines12 200522418.2%------------
65Cape Verde1 2006721318.1%------------
"Sudan8 20054438018.1%8 20055036.0%
66Lithuania10 20081412517.7%------------
67Israel2 20091202117.5%------------
"Tajikistan2 2005631117.5%3 200534823.5%
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.5%1 20051001515.0%
68Mauritius7 2005701217.1%------------
69Bolivia12 20051302216.9%12 20052713.7%
70Turkmenistan12 20081252116.8%------------
"United States of America 111 20084357316.8%11 2008981515.3%
71Gabon1 20091202016.7%1 20091021817.6%
"Panama5 2004781316.7%------------
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%------------
87Malawi5 20041932513.0%------------
88Liberia10 200564812.5%10 200530516.7%
"Paraguay4 2008801012.5%4 200845715.6%
89Niger12 20041131412.4%------------
"Syrian Arab Republic4 20072503112.4%------------
90Bahamas5 200741512.2%5 200715960.0%
91Uruguay10 2004991212.1%10 200431412.9%
92Guatemala9 20071581912.0%------------
"Maldives1 200550612.0%------------
93Bosnia and Herzegovina10 200642511.9%3 200715213.3%
94Thailand12 20074805611.7%3 20081502416.0%
95Azerbaijan11 20051231411.4%------------
"Romania11 20083343811.4%11 200813785.8%
96Botswana10 200463711.1%------------
"Hungary4 20063864311.1%------------
"Saint Lucia12 200618211.1%1 200711327.3%
"Togo10 200781911.1%------------
97Benin3 200383910.8%------------
"Malaysia3 20082222410.8%N.A.591728.8%
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%
"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%
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%
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2009468367.7%------------
112Congo6 2007137107.3%8 200870912.9%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065547.3%------------
113Albania7 2005140107.1%------------
114Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
115Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
116Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
117Montenegro3 20098156.2%------------
118Equatorial Guinea5 200810066.0%------------
"Georgia5 200815096.0%------------
119Somalia8 2004523315.9%------------
120Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
121Chad4 200215585.2%------------
122Lebanon5 200512864.7%------------
123Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
124Haiti2 20069844.1%4 200918??
"Mongolia6 20087434.1%------------
125Vanuatu9 20085223.8%------------
126Kuwait 25 20086523.1%------------
"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%------------
134Ecuador4 2009124??------------
"India4 2009545??7 2008243239.5%
"Indonesia4 2009560??------------
"Republic of Moldova4 2009101??------------
"South Africa 44 2009400??4 200954??
* Figures correspond to the number of seats currently filled in Parliament

Guinea: The parliament was dissolved following the December 2008 coup

1 - United States of America: The total refers to all voting members of the House.

2 - 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.

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.

4 - 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.

Women in politicsHome pageAreas of activityFunctioning and documents