Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 31 March 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 31 March 2009. 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%
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%
29Ecuador 210 2008762127.6%------------
30Peru4 20061203327.5%------------
31Namibia11 2004782126.9%11 200426726.9%
32Trinidad and Tobago11 2007411126.8%12 2007311341.9%
33Australia11 20071504026.7%11 2007762735.5%
34Viet Nam5 200749312725.8%------------
35Kyrgyzstan12 2007902325.6%------------
36Iraq12 20052757025.5%------------
"Suriname5 2005511325.5%------------
37Lao People's Democratic Republic4 20061152925.2%------------
38Andorra4 200528725.0%------------
"Lesotho2 20071203025.0%3 200731929.0%
"Monaco2 200824625.0%------------
39Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
40Liechtenstein2 200925624.0%------------
41Seychelles5 200734823.5%------------
42Honduras11 20051283023.4%------------
43Luxembourg6 2004601423.3%------------
44Mexico7 200650011623.2%7 20061282318.0%
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%
50Republic of Moldova3 20051012221.8%------------
51Bulgaria6 20052405221.7%------------
52Serbia5 20082505421.6%------------
53China3 2008298763721.3%------------
"Italy4 200863013421.3%4 20083225818.0%
54Croatia11 20071533220.9%------------
55Estonia3 20071012120.8%------------
56Philippines5 20072394920.5%5 200723417.4%
57Poland10 20074609320.2%10 200710088.0%
58Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
59Dominican Republic5 20061783519.7%5 20063213.1%
60United Kingdom5 200564612619.5%N.A.74614719.7%
61Slovakia6 20061502919.3%------------
62El Salvador1 2009841619.0%------------
63Dominica5 200532618.8%------------
64Bangladesh12 20083456418.6%------------
"Venezuela12 20051673118.6%------------
65Nicaragua11 2006921718.5%------------
66France6 200757710518.2%9 20083437521.9%
"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines12 200522418.2%------------
67Cape Verde1 2006721318.1%------------
"Sudan8 20054438018.1%8 20055036.0%
68Lithuania10 20081412517.7%------------
69Israel2 20091202117.5%------------
"Tajikistan2 2005631117.5%3 200534823.5%
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.5%1 20051001515.0%
70Mauritius7 2005701217.1%------------
71Bolivia12 20051302216.9%12 20052713.7%
72Turkmenistan12 20081252116.8%------------
"United States of America 311 20084357316.8%11 2008981515.3%
73Gabon1 20091202016.7%1 20091021817.6%
"Panama5 2004781316.7%------------
74Cambodia7 20081232016.3%1 200661914.8%
75Kazakhstan8 20071071715.9%10 20084724.3%
76Democratic People's Republic of Korea3 200968710715.6%------------
77Czech Republic6 20062003115.5%10 2008811417.3%
78Burkina Faso5 20071111715.3%------------
79Zambia9 20061582415.2%------------
"Zimbabwe3 20082103215.2%3 2008932324.7%
80Chile12 20051201815.0%12 20053825.3%
"San Marino11 200860915.0%------------
81Greece9 20073004414.7%------------
82Cyprus5 200656814.3%------------
83Russian Federation12 20074506314.0%N.A.16984.7%
84Cameroon7 20071802513.9%------------
85Djibouti2 200865913.8%------------
"Swaziland9 200865913.8%10 2008301240.0%
86Republic of Korea4 20082994113.7%------------
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%------------
89Malawi5 20041932513.0%------------
90Liberia10 200564812.5%10 200530516.7%
"Paraguay4 2008801012.5%4 200845715.6%
91Niger12 20041131412.4%------------
"Syrian Arab Republic4 20072503112.4%------------
92Bahamas5 200741512.2%5 200715960.0%
93Uruguay10 2004991212.1%10 200431412.9%
94Guatemala9 20071581912.0%------------
"Maldives1 200550612.0%------------
95Bosnia and Herzegovina10 200642511.9%3 200715213.3%
96Thailand12 20074805611.7%3 20081502416.0%
97Indonesia4 20045506411.6%------------
98Azerbaijan11 20051231411.4%------------
"Romania11 20083343811.4%11 200813785.8%
99Botswana10 200463711.1%------------
"Hungary4 20063864311.1%------------
"Saint Lucia12 200618211.1%1 200711327.3%
"Togo10 200781911.1%------------
100Benin3 200383910.8%------------
"Malaysia3 20082222410.8%N.A.591728.8%
101Central African Republic3 20051051110.5%------------
"Morocco9 20073253410.5%9 200627031.1%
102Mali7 20071471510.2%------------
103Barbados1 200830310.0%2 200821419.0%
"Guinea-Bissau11 20081001010.0%------------
104Kenya12 2007224229.8%------------
105Gambia1 20025359.4%------------
"Japan9 2005480459.4%7 20072424418.2%
106India4 2004541499.1%6 2008243239.5%
"Turkey7 2007549509.1%------------
107Brazil10 2006513469.0%10 2006811012.3%
108Cote d'Ivoire12 2000203188.9%------------
109Malta3 20086968.7%------------
110Bhutan3 20084748.5%12 200725624.0%
111Armenia5 2007131118.4%------------
"Colombia3 2006166148.4%3 20061021211.8%
"Democratic Republic of the Congo7 2006500428.4%1 200710854.6%
112Samoa3 20064948.2%------------
"Ukraine9 2007450378.2%------------
113Ghana12 2004228187.9%------------
"Madagascar9 2007127107.9%4 200833515.2%
114Algeria5 2007389307.7%12 200613642.9%
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2009468367.7%------------
115Congo6 2007137107.3%8 200870912.9%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065547.3%------------
116Albania7 2005140107.1%------------
117Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
118Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
119Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
120Equatorial Guinea5 200810066.0%------------
"Georgia5 200815096.0%------------
121Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
122Chad4 200215585.2%------------
123Lebanon5 200512864.7%------------
124Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
125Haiti2 20069844.1%2 200618211.1%
"Mongolia6 20087434.1%------------
126Vanuatu9 20085223.8%------------
127Kuwait 45 20086523.1%------------
"Tonga 54 20083213.1%------------
128Comoros4 20043313.0%------------
"Marshall Islands11 20073313.0%------------
129Iran (Islamic Republic of)3 200828682.8%------------
130Bahrain11 20064012.5%12 2006401025.0%
131Egypt11 200544281.8%6 2007264186.8%
132Papua New Guinea6 200710910.9%------------
133Yemen4 200330110.3%4 200111121.8%
134Belize2 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%------------
135Antigua and Barbuda3 200919??3 200417423.5%
"Montenegro3 200981??------------
"Somalia8 2004475??------------
* 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 - Ecuador: The 2008 Constitution provides that the National Congress shall be replaced by a 124-member National Assembly. Elections to that body are due to take place on 26 April 2009. During the transitional period, a Legislative and Oversight Commission, comprising the members of the Constituent Assembly, assumes the legislative and oversight functions. The date refers to the date when the Commission held its first session.

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

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.

Women in politicsHome pageAreas of activityFunctioning and documents