Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 30 September 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 September 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%
9Denmark11 20071796838.0%------------
10Angola9 20082208237.3%------------
11Costa Rica2 2006572136.8%------------
12Spain3 200835012736.3%3 20082637930.0%
13Andorra4 2009281035.7%------------
14Belgium6 20071505335.3%6 2007712738.0%
15Mozambique12 20042508734.8%------------
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%
30Afghanistan9 20052426727.7%9 20051022221.6%
31Peru4 20061203327.5%------------
32Namibia11 2004782126.9%11 200426726.9%
33Trinidad and Tobago11 2007411126.8%12 2007311341.9%
34Australia11 20071504026.7%11 2007762735.5%
35Viet Nam5 200749312725.8%------------
36Republic of Moldova7 20091012625.7%------------
37Kyrgyzstan12 2007902325.6%------------
38Iraq12 20052757025.5%------------
"Suriname5 2005511325.5%------------
39Lao People's Democratic Republic4 20061152925.2%------------
40Lesotho2 20071203025.0%3 200731929.0%
"Monaco2 200824625.0%------------
41Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
42Liechtenstein2 200925624.0%------------
43Seychelles5 200734823.5%------------
44Honduras11 20051283023.4%------------
45Tunisia10 20041894322.8%8 20081121715.2%
46Pakistan2 20083387622.5%3 20091001717.0%
"United Arab Emirates12 200640922.5%------------
47Canada10 20083086822.1%N.A.933234.4%
"Mauritania11 2006952122.1%1 200756916.1%
48Eritrea2 19941503322.0%------------
"Senegal6 20071503322.0%8 20071004040.0%
49Ethiopia5 200552911621.9%10 20051122118.8%
50Serbia5 20082505421.6%------------
51China3 2008298763721.3%------------
"Italy4 200863013421.3%4 20083225818.0%
52Croatia11 20071533220.9%------------
53Bulgaria7 20092405020.8%------------
"Estonia3 20071012120.8%------------
"Malawi5 20091924020.8%------------
54Philippines5 20072394920.5%5 200723417.4%
55Poland10 20074609320.2%10 200710088.0%
56Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
"Luxembourg6 2009601220.0%------------
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%
"Indonesia4 200956010218.2%------------
"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 211 20084357316.8%11 2008981515.3%
71Gabon1 20091202016.7%1 20091021817.6%
72Albania6 20091402316.4%------------
73Cambodia7 20081232016.3%1 200661914.8%
74Kazakhstan8 20071071715.9%10 20084724.3%
75Democratic People's Republic of Korea3 200968710715.6%------------
76Czech Republic6 20062003115.5%10 2008811417.3%
77Burkina Faso5 20071111715.3%------------
78Zambia9 20061582415.2%------------
"Zimbabwe3 20082103215.2%3 2008932324.7%
79Chile12 20051201815.0%12 20053825.3%
"San Marino11 200860915.0%------------
80Greece9 20073004414.7%------------
81Cyprus5 200656814.3%------------
82Russian Federation12 20074506314.0%N.A.16984.7%
83Cameroon7 20071802513.9%------------
84Djibouti2 200865913.8%------------
85Republic of Korea4 20082994113.7%------------
86Swaziland9 200866913.6%10 2008301240.0%
87Grenada7 200815213.3%8 200813430.8%
"Ireland5 20071662213.3%7 2007601321.7%
"Jamaica9 200760813.3%9 200721314.3%
"Slovenia9 2008901213.3%11 20074012.5%
88Sierra Leone8 20071211613.2%------------
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%------------
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%
98Botswana10 200463711.1%------------
"Hungary4 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%9 200627031.1%
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%------------
114Algeria5 2007389307.7%12 200613642.9%
"Kuwait5 20086557.7%------------
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2009468367.7%------------
115Congo6 2007137107.3%8 200870912.9%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065547.3%------------
116Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
117Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
118Maldives5 20097756.5%------------
119Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
120Montenegro3 20098156.2%------------
121Somalia8 2004539336.1%------------
122Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
123Chad4 200215585.2%------------
124Georgia5 200813775.1%------------
125Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
126Haiti2 20069844.1%4 20092926.9%
127Mongolia6 20087534.0%------------
128Vanuatu9 20085223.8%------------
129Lebanon6 200912843.1%------------
"Tonga 34 20083213.1%------------
130Comoros4 20043313.0%------------
"Marshall Islands11 20073313.0%------------
131Iran (Islamic Republic of)3 200829082.8%------------
132Bahrain11 20064012.5%12 2006401025.0%
133Egypt11 200544281.8%6 2007264186.8%
134Papua New Guinea6 200710910.9%------------
135Yemen4 200330110.3%4 200111121.8%
136Belize2 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%------------
 Norway9 2009169??------------
 Portugal9 2009230??------------
* 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.

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