Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 30 September 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 30 September 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%------------
5Argentina10 200725510240.0%10 2007722838.9%
6Netherlands11 20061505939.3%5 2007752634.7%
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%------------
14Iceland5 2007632133.3%------------
15Nepal4 200859419733.2%------------
16New Zealand9 20051214033.1%------------
17South Africa 14 200440013233.0%4 2004542240.7%
18The F.Y.R. of Macedonia6 20081203831.7%------------
19Germany9 200561319431.6%N.A.691521.7%
20Uganda2 200633210230.7%------------
21Burundi7 20051183630.5%7 2005491734.7%
22United Republic of Tanzania12 20053199730.4%------------
23Peru4 20061203529.2%------------
"Timor-Leste6 2007651929.2%------------
24Guyana8 2006692029.0%------------
25Switzerland10 20072005728.5%10 2007461021.7%
26Portugal2 20052306528.3%------------
27Afghanistan9 20052426727.7%9 20051022221.6%
28Namibia11 2004782126.9%11 200426726.9%
29Trinidad and Tobago11 2007411126.8%12 2007311341.9%
30Australia11 20071504026.7%11 2007762735.5%
31Viet Nam5 200749312725.8%------------
32Kyrgyzstan12 2007902325.6%------------
33Iraq12 20052757025.5%------------
"Suriname5 2005511325.5%------------
34Lao People's Democratic Republic4 20061152925.2%------------
35Andorra4 200528725.0%------------
"Ecuador10 20061002525.0%------------
"Lesotho2 20071203025.0%3 200731929.0%
"Monaco2 200824625.0%------------
36Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
37Liechtenstein3 200525624.0%------------
38Seychelles5 200734823.5%------------
39Honduras11 20051283023.4%------------
40Luxembourg6 2004601423.3%------------
41Mexico7 200650011623.2%7 20061282318.0%
42Tunisia10 20041894322.8%8 20081121715.2%
43Lithuania10 20041413222.7%------------
44Pakistan2 20083387622.5%3 20061001717.0%
"United Arab Emirates12 200640922.5%------------
45Mauritania11 2006952122.1%1 200756916.1%
46Eritrea2 19941503322.0%------------
"Senegal6 20071503322.0%8 20071004040.0%
47Ethiopia5 200552911621.9%10 20051122118.8%
48Republic of Moldova3 20051012221.8%------------
49Bulgaria6 20052405221.7%------------
50Serbia5 20082505421.6%------------
51Canada1 20063056521.3%N.A.933234.4%
"China3 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%
56Democratic People's Republic of Korea8 200368713820.1%------------
57Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
58Dominican Republic5 20061783519.7%5 20063213.1%
59United Kingdom5 200564612619.5%N.A.74614719.7%
60Dominica5 200531619.4%------------
61Guinea6 20021142219.3%------------
"Slovakia6 20061502919.3%------------
62Venezuela12 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%
66Tajikistan2 2005631117.5%3 200534823.5%
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.5%1 20051001515.0%
67Mauritius7 2005701217.1%------------
68Bolivia12 20051302216.9%12 20052713.7%
69United States of America11 20064357316.8%11 20061001616.0%
70El Salvador3 2006841416.7%------------
"Gabon12 20011202016.7%2 2003911415.4%
"Panama5 2004781316.7%------------
71Cambodia7 20081232016.3%1 200661914.8%
72Turkmenistan12 200450816.0%------------
73Kazakhstan8 20071071715.9%8 20054724.3%
74Czech Republic6 20062003115.5%10 2006811113.6%
75Burkina Faso5 20071111715.3%------------
76Zambia9 20061582415.2%------------
"Zimbabwe3 20082103215.2%3 2008902325.6%
77Chile12 20051201815.0%12 20053825.3%
78Greece9 20073004414.7%------------
79Cyprus5 200656814.3%------------
80Israel3 20061201714.2%------------
81Guinea-Bissau3 20041001414.0%------------
"Russian Federation12 20074506314.0%N.A.16984.7%
82Cameroon7 20071802513.9%------------
83Djibouti2 200865913.8%------------
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%
94San Marino6 200660711.7%------------
"Thailand12 20074805611.7%3 20081502416.0%
95Indonesia4 20045506411.6%------------
96Azerbaijan11 20051231411.4%------------
97Botswana10 200463711.1%------------
"Hungary4 20063864311.1%------------
"Montenegro9 200681911.1%------------
"Saint Lucia12 200618211.1%1 200711327.3%
"Togo10 200781911.1%------------
98Ghana12 20042302510.9%------------
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%
103Gambia1 20025359.4%------------
"Japan9 2005480459.4%7 20072424418.2%
"Romania11 2004330319.4%11 20041371410.2%
104India4 2004541499.1%6 2008243239.5%
"Turkey7 2007549509.1%------------
105Brazil10 2006513469.0%10 2006811012.3%
106Cote d'Ivoire12 2000203188.9%------------
"Kenya12 2007224208.9%------------
107Malta3 20086968.7%------------
108Bhutan3 20084748.5%12 200725624.0%
109Armenia5 2007131118.4%------------
"Colombia3 2006166148.4%3 20061021211.8%
"Democratic Republic of the Congo7 2006500428.4%1 200710854.6%
110Samoa3 20064948.2%------------
"Somalia8 2004256218.2%------------
"Ukraine9 2007450378.2%------------
111Madagascar9 2007127107.9%4 200833412.1%
112Algeria5 2007389307.7%12 200613642.9%
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2006468367.7%------------
113Congo6 2007137107.3%8 200870912.9%
114Albania7 2005140107.1%------------
115Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
116Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
117Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
118Equatorial Guinea5 200810066.0%------------
"Georgia5 200815096.0%------------
119Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
120Chad4 200215585.2%------------
121Lebanon5 200512864.7%------------
122Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
123Mongolia6 20087234.2%------------
124Haiti2 20069844.1%2 200618211.1%
125Vanuatu9 20085223.8%------------
126Kuwait 25 20086523.1%------------
"Tonga4 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%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065511.8%------------
131Papua New Guinea6 200710910.9%------------
132Yemen4 200330110.3%4 200111121.8%
133Belize2 20083200.0%3 200813538.5%
"Micronesia (Federated States of)3 20051400.0%------------
"Nauru4 20081800.0%------------
"Oman10 20078400.0%11 2007701420.0%
"Palau11 20041600.0%11 2004900.0%
"Qatar7 20083500.0%------------
"Saudi Arabia4 200515000.0%------------
"Solomon Islands4 20065000.0%------------
"Tuvalu8 20061500.0%------------
134Austria9 2008183??N.A.611524.6%
"Belarus9 2008110??11 2004581831.0%
"Swaziland9 200865??10 2003301136.7%
* Figures correspond to the number of seats currently filled in Parliament

Bangladesh: The parliament was dissolved on 27 October 2006, in view of elections that are yet to take place. Women held 52 of the 345 seats (15%) in the outgoing 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 - 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.

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