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 September 2006. 189 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.
New: you can now consult an archive of statistical data on women in National Parliaments.

Rank	Country	Lower or single House				Upper House or Senate
		Elections	Seats*	Women	% W	Elections	Seats*	Women	% W
1	Rwanda	09 2003	80	39	48.8	09 2003	26	9	34.6
2	Sweden	09 2006	349	165	47.3	---	---	---	---
3	Costa Rica	02 2006	57	22	38.6	---	---	---	---
4	Finland	03 2003	200	76	38.0	---	---	---	---
5	Norway	09 2005	169	64	37.9	---	---	---	---
6	Denmark	02 2005	179	66	36.9	---	---	---	---
7	Netherlands	01 2003	150	55	36.7	06 2003	75	22	29.3
8	Cuba	01 2003	609	219	36.0	---	---	---	---
"	Spain	03 2004	350	126	36.0	03 2004	259	60	23.2
9	Argentina	10 2005	257	90	35.0	10 2005	72	31	43.1
10	Mozambique	12 2004	250	87	34.8	---	---	---	---
11	Belgium	05 2003	150	52	34.7	05 2003	71	27	38.0
12	Austria	11 2002	183	62	33.9	N.A.	62	17	27.4
13	Iceland	05 2003	63	21	33.3	---	---	---	---
14	South Africa 1	04 2004	400	131	32.8	04 2004	54	18	33.3
15	New Zealand	09 2005	121	39	32.2	---	---	---	---
16	Germany	09 2005	614	195	31.8	N.A.	69	13	18.8
17	Burundi	07 2005	118	36	30.5	07 2005	49	17	34.7
18	United Rep. of Tanzania	12 2005	319	97	30.4	---	---	---	---
19	Seychelles	12 2002	34	10	29.4	---	---	---	---
20	Peru	04 2006	120	35	29.2	---	---	---	---
21	Belarus	10 2004	110	32	29.1	11 2004	58	18	31.0
22	Andorra	04 2005	28	8	28.6	---	---	---	---
23	The F.Y.R. of Macedonia	07 2006	120	34	28.3	---	---	---	---
24	Uganda	02 2006	322	89	27.6	---	---	---	---
25	Afghanistan	09 2005	249	68	27.3	09 2005	102	23	22.5
"	Viet Nam	05 2002	498	136	27.3	---	---	---	---
26	Namibia	11 2004	78	21	26.9	11 2004	26	7	26.9
27	Grenada	11 2003	15	4	26.7	11 2003	13	4	30.8
28	Iraq	12 2005	275	70	25.5	---	---	---	---
"	Suriname	05 2005	51	13	25.5	---	---	---	---
29	Timor-Leste 2	08 2001	87	22	25.3	---	---	---	---
30	Lao People's Democratic Rep.	04 2006	115	29	25.2	---	---	---	---
31	Switzerland	10 2003	200	50	25.0	10 2003	46	11	23.9
32	Australia	10 2004	150	37	24.7	10 2004	76	27	35.5
33	Liechtenstein	03 2005	25	6	24.0	---	---	---	---
34	Honduras	11 2005	128	30	23.4	---	---	---	---
35	Luxembourg	06 2004	60	14	23.3	---	---	---	---
36	Tunisia	10 2004	189	43	22.8	07 2005	112	15	13.4
37	Bulgaria	06 2005	240	53	22.1	---	---	---	---
38	Eritrea	02 1994	150	33	22.0	---	---	---	---
"	Lithuania	10 2004	141	31	22.0	---	---	---	---
39	Ethiopia	05 2005	529	116	21.9	10 2005	112	21	18.8
40	Republic of Moldova	03 2005	101	22	21.8	---	---	---	---
41	Croatia	11 2003	152	33	21.7	---	---	---	---
42	Pakistan	10 2002	342	73	21.3	03 2006	100	17	17.0
"	Portugal	02 2005	230	49	21.3	---	---	---	---
43	Singapore 3	05 2006	85	18	21.2	---	---	---	---
44	Latvia	10 2002	100	21	21.0	---	---	---	---
45	Canada	01 2006	308	64	20.8	N.A.	100	35	35.0
"	Monaco	02 2003	24	5	20.8	---	---	---	---
46	Nicaragua	11 2001	92	19	20.7	---	---	---	---
47	Poland	09 2005	460	94	20.4	09 2005	100	13	13.0
48	China	02 2003	2980	604	20.3	---	---	---	---
49	Dem. People's Rep. of Korea	08 2003	687	138	20.1	---	---	---	---
50	Bahamas	05 2002	40	8	20.0	05 2002	16	7	43.8
"	Slovakia	06 2006	150	30	20.0	---	---	---	---
51	Dominican Republic	05 2006	178	35	19.7	05 2006	32	1	3.1
"	United Kingdom	05 2005	646	127	19.7	N.A.	721	126	17.5
52	Trinidad and Tobago	10 2002	36	7	19.4	10 2002	31	10	32.3
53	Guinea	06 2002	114	22	19.3	---	---	---	---
54	Senegal	04 2001	120	23	19.2	---	---	---	---
55	Estonia	03 2003	101	19	18.8	---	---	---	---
56	Saint Vincent & the Grenadines	12 2005	22	4	18.2	---	---	---	---
57	Equatorial Guinea	04 2004	100	18	18.0	---	---	---	---
"	Venezuela	12 2005	167	30	18.0	---	---	---	---
58	Tajikistan	02 2005	63	11	17.5	03 2005	34	8	23.5
"	Uzbekistan	12 2004	120	21	17.5	01 2005	100	15	15.0
59	Italy	04 2006	630	109	17.3	04 2006	322	44	13.7
60	Mauritius	07 2005	70	12	17.1	---	---	---	---
61	Bolivia	12 2005	130	22	16.9	12 2005	27	1	3.7
62	Bosnia and Herzegovina	10 2002	42	7	16.7	10.2002	15	0	0.0
"	El Salvador	03 2006	84	14	16.7	---	---	---	---
"	Panama	05 2004	78	13	16.7	---	---	---	---
63	Ecuador	10 2002	100	16	16.0	---	---	---	---
"	Turkmenistan	12 2004	50	8	16.0	---	---	---	---
"	Zimbabwe	03 2005	150	24	16.0	11 2005	66	21	31.8
64	Philippines	05 2004	236	37	15.7	05 2004	24	4	16.7
65	Czech Republic	06 2006	200	31	15.5	11 2004	81	10	12.3
66	Cape Verde	01 2006	72	11	15.3	---	---	---	---
67	United States of America	11 2004	435	66	15.2	11 2004	100	14	14.0
68	Bangladesh 4	10 2001	345	52	15.1	---	---	---	---
69	Angola	09 1992	220	33	15.0	---	---	---	---
"	Chile	12 2005	120	18	15.0	12 2005	38	2	5.3
70	Sudan	08 2005	450	66	14.7	08 2005	50	2	4.0
71	Sierra Leone	05 2002	124	18	14.5	---	---	---	---
72	Cyprus	05 2006	56	8	14.3	---	---	---	---
73	Israel	03 2006	120	17	14.2	---	---	---	---
74	Guinea-Bissau	03 2004	100	14	14.0	---	---	---	---
75	Malawi	04 2004	191	26	13.6	---	---	---	---
76	Republic of Korea	04 2004	299	40	13.4	---	---	---	---
77	Barbados	05 2003	30	4	13.3	05 2003	21	5	23.8
"	Ireland	05 2002	166	22	13.3	07 2002	60	10	16.7
78	Gambia	01 2002	53	7	13.2	---	---	---	---
79	Greece	03 2004	300	39	13.0	---	---	---	---
80	Dominica	05 2005	31	4	12.9	---	---	---	---
81	Liberia	10 2005	64	8	12.5	10 2005	30	5	16.7
82	Niger	11 2004	113	14	12.4	---	---	---	---
83	France	06 2002	574	70	12.2	09 2004	331	56	16.9
"	Slovenia	10 2004	90	11	12.2	12.2002	40	3	7.5
84	Maldives	01 2005	50	6	12.0	---	---	---	---
"	Serbia	12 2003	250	30	12.0	---	---	---	---
"	Syrian Arab Republic	03 2003	250	30	12.0	---	---	---	---
85	Burkina Faso	05 2002	111	13	11.7	---	---	---	---
"	Jamaica	10 2002	60	7	11.7	10 2002	21	4	19.0
"	Lesotho	05 2002	120	14	11.7	N.A.	33	12	36.4
"	San Marino	06 2006	60	7	11.7	---	---	---	---
86	Azerbaijan	11 2005	124	14	11.3	---	---	---	---
"	Fiji	05 2006	71	8	11.3	06 2006	32	5	15.6
"	Indonesia	04 2004	550	62	11.3	---	---	---	---
87	Romania	11 2004	331	37	11.2	11 2004	137	13	9.5
88	Botswana	10 2004	63	7	11.1	---	---	---	---
"	Uruguay	10 2004	99	11	11.1	10 2004	31	3	9.7
89	Ghana	12 2004	230	25	10.9	---	---	---	---
90	Djibouti	01 2003	65	7	10.8	---	---	---	---
"	Morocco	09 2002	325	35	10.8	10 2003	270	3	1.1
"	Swaziland	10 2003	65	7	10.8	10 2003	30	9	30.0
91	Antigua and Barbuda	03 2004	19	2	10.5	03 2004	17	3	17.6
"	Central African Republic	05 2005	105	11	10.5	---	---	---	---
92	Hungary	04 2006	386	40	10.4	---	---	---	---
"	Kazakhstan	09 2004	77	8	10.4	09 2004	39	2	5.1
93	Mali	07 2002	147	15	10.2	---	---	---	---
94	Paraguay	04 2003	80	8	10.0	04 2003	45	4	8.9
95	Cambodia	07 2003	123	12	9.8	01 2006	61	9	14.8
"	Russian Federation	12 2003	447	44	9.8	N.A.	178	6	3.4
96	Georgia	03 2004	235	22	9.4	---	---	---	---
"	Japan	09 2005	478	45	9.4	07 2004	242	34	14.0
97	Gabon	12 2001	119	11	9.2	02 2003	91	14	15.4
"	Malta	04 2003	65	6	9.2	---	---	---	---
98	Malaysia	03 2004	219	20	9.1	03 2004	70	18	25.7
99	Cameroon	06 2002	180	16	8.9	---	---	---	---
100	Ukraine	03 2006	450	39	8.7	---	---	---	---
101	Brazil	10 2002	513	44	8.6	10 2002	81	10	12.3
"	Montenegro	09 2006	81	7	8.6	---	---	---	---
"	Togo	10 2002	81	7	8.6	---	---	---	---
102	Congo	05 2002	129	11	8.5	10 2005	60	8	13.3
"	Cote d'Ivoire	12 2000	223	19	8.5	---	---	---	---
103	Dem. Republic of the Congo	07 2006	500	42	8.4	08 2003	120	3	2.5
104	India	04 2004	545	45	8.3	06 2004	250	28	11.2
105	Guatemala	11 2003	158	13	8.2	---	---	---	---
"	Samoa	03 2006	49	4	8.2	---	---	---	---
106	Somalia	08 2004	269	21	7.8	---	---	---	---
107	Kenya	12 2002	219	16	7.3	---	---	---	---
"	Sao Tome and Principe	03 2006	55	4	7.3	---	---	---	---
108	Benin	03 2003	83	6	7.2	---	---	---	---
109	Albania	07 2005	140	10	7.1	---	---	---	---
110	Madagascar	12 2002	160	11	6.9	03 2001	90	10	11.1
111	Belize	03 2003	30	2	6.7	03 2003	12	3	25.0
112	Mongolia	06 2004	76	5	6.6	---	---	---	---
113	Chad	04 2002	155	10	6.5	---	---	---	---
114	Nigeria	04 2003	360	23	6.4	04 2003	109	4	3.7
115	Algeria	05 2002	389	24	6.2	12 2003	144	4	2.8
116	Nepal	05 1999	204	12	5.9	06 2001	18	3	16.7
117	Saint Lucia	12 2001	18	1	5.6	12.2001	11	4	36.4
118	Jordan	06 2003	110	6	5.5	11 2005	55	7	12.7
119	Armenia	05 2003	131	7	5.3	---	---	---	---
120	Sri Lanka	04 2004	225	11	4.9	---	---	---	---
121	Kiribati	05 2003	42	2	4.8	---	---	---	---
122	Lebanon	05 2005	128	6	4.7	---	---	---	---
"	Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	03 2006	760	36	4.7	---	---	---	---
123	Turkey	11 2002	550	24	4.4	---	---	---	---
124	Iran (Islamic Rep. of)	02 2004	290	12	4.1	---	---	---	---
125	Vanuatu	07 2004	52	2	3.8	---	---	---	---
126	Tonga	03 2005	30	1	3.3	---	---	---	---
127	Comoros	04 2004	33	1	3.0	---	---	---	---
"	Marshall Islands	11 2003	33	1	3.0	---	---	---	---
128	Bhutan	N.A.	150	4	2.7	---	---	---	---
129	Haiti	02 2006	82	2	2.4	02 2006	27	4	14.8
"	Oman	10 2003	83	2	2.4	N.A.	58	9	15.5
130	Egypt	11 2005	442	9	2.0	05 2004	264	18	6.8
131	Kuwait	06 2006	65	1	1.5	---	---	---	---
132	Papua New Guinea	06 2002	109	1	0.9	---	---	---	---
133	Yemen	04 2003	301	1	0.3	04 2001	111	2	1.8
134	Bahrain	10 2002	40	0	0.0	11 2002	40	6	15.0
"	Kyrgyzstan	02 2005	72	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Micronesia (Fed. States of)	03 2005	14	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Nauru	10 2004	18	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Palau	11 2004	16	0	0.0	11 2004	9	0	0.0
"	Qatar	06 2005	35	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Saint Kitts and Nevis	10 2004	15	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Saudi Arabia	04 2005	150	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Solomon Islands	04 2006	50	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Tuvalu	08 2006	15	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	United Arab Emirates	02 2003	40	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
?	Colombia	03 2006	166	?	?	03 2006	102	?	?
?	Guyana	08 2006	65	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Mexico	07 2006	500	?	?	07 2006	128	22	17.2
?	Thailand	04 2006	500	?	?	04 2006	157	44	28.0
?	Zambia	09 2006	158	?	?	---	---	---	---

* Figures correspond to the number of seats currently filled in Parliament 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 - Timor-Leste: The purpose of the elections held on 30 August 2001 was to elect the members of the Constituant Assembly of Timor-Leste. This body became the National Parliament on 20 May 2002, the date on which the country became independent, without any new elections. 3 - Singapore: The parliamentarians elected in May 2006 will take up their seats at the first sitting of the 11th Parliament, scheduled for November 2006. Ten additionnal seats will be appointed. There were 15 women out of 94 members in the outgoing Parliament dissolved on 22 April 2006. 4 - Bangladesh: In 2004, the number of seats in parliament was raised from 300 to 345, with the addition of 45 reserved seats for women. These reserved seats were filled in September and October 2005, being allocated to political parties in proportion to their share of the national vote received in the 2001 election.