Women in National Parliaments
Situation as of 31 December 2007

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 December 2007. 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
1Rwanda10 2003803948.8%9 200326934.6%
2Sweden9 200634916447.0%------------
3Finland3 20072008341.5%------------
4Argentina10 200725510240.0%10 2007722838.9%
5Netherlands11 20061505939.3%5 2007752634.7%
6Denmark11 20071796838.0%------------
7Costa Rica2 2006572136.8%------------
8Spain3 200435012836.6%3 20042596023.2%
9Norway9 20051696136.1%------------
10Cuba1 200360921936.0%------------
11Belgium6 20071505335.3%6 2007712738.0%
12Mozambique12 20042508734.8%------------
13Iceland5 2007632133.3%------------
14New Zealand9 20051214033.1%------------
15South Africa 14 200440013233.0%4 2004542240.7%
16Austria10 20061836032.8%N/A611524.6%
17Germany9 200561319431.6%N/A691521.7%
18Uganda2 200633210230.7%------------
19Burundi7 20051183630.5%7 2005491734.7%
20United Republic of Tanzania12 20053199730.4%------------
21Peru4 20061203529.2%------------
"The F.Y.R. of Macedonia7 20061203529.2%------------
"Timor-Leste6 2007651929.2%------------
22Belarus10 20041103229.1%11 2004581831.0%
23Guyana8 2006692029.0%------------
24Andorra4 200528828.6%------------
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%
"Grenada11 200315426.7%11 200313430.8%
31Viet Nam5 200749312725.8%------------
32Kyrgyzstan12 2007902325.6%------------
33Iraq12 20052757025.5%------------
"Suriname5 2005511325.5%------------
34Lao People's Democratic Republic4 20061152925.2%------------
35Ecuador10 20061002525.0%------------
36Singapore5 2006942324.5%------------
37Liechtenstein3 200525624.0%------------
38Lesotho2 20071192823.5%3 200731929.0%
"Seychelles5 200734823.5%------------
39Honduras11 20051283023.4%------------
40Luxembourg6 2004601423.3%------------
41Mexico7 200650011623.2%7 20061282318.0%
42Tunisia10 20041894322.8%7 20051111715.3%
43Lithuania10 20041413222.7%------------
44United 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%------------
50Canada1 20063056521.3%N/A933234.4%
51Pakistan10 20023427221.1%3 20061001717.0%
52Croatia11 20071533220.9%------------
53Estonia3 20071012120.8%------------
"Monaco2 200324520.8%------------
54China2 2003296361120.6%------------
55Philippines5 20072394920.5%5 200723417.4%
56Poland10 20074609420.4%10 200710088.0%
"Serbia1 20072505120.4%------------
57Democratic People's Republic of Korea8 200368713820.1%------------
58Latvia10 20061002020.0%------------
59Dominican Republic5 20061783519.7%5 20063213.1%
60Cambodia7 20031232419.5%1 200661914.8%
"United Kingdom5 200564612619.5%N/A75014819.7%
61Guinea6 20021142219.3%------------
"Slovakia6 20061502919.3%------------
62Venezuela12 20051673118.6%------------
63Nicaragua11 2006921718.5%------------
64France6 200757710518.2%9 20043306018.2%
"Saint Vincent and the Grenadines12 200522418.2%------------
65Cape Verde1 2006721318.1%------------
"Sudan8 20054438018.1%8 20055036.0%
66Equatorial Guinea4 20041001818.0%------------
67Tajikistan2 2005631117.5%3 200534823.5%
"Uzbekistan12 20041202117.5%1 20051001515.0%
68Italy4 200663010917.3%4 20063224514.0%
"Nepal1 20073295717.3%------------
69Mauritius7 2005701217.1%------------
70Bolivia12 20051302216.9%12 20052713.7%
71United States of America11 20064357316.8%11 20061001616.0%
72El Salvador3 2006841416.7%------------
"Gabon12 20011202016.7%2 2003911415.4%
"Panama5 2004781316.7%------------
73Dominica5 200531516.1%------------
74Turkmenistan12 200450816.0%------------
"Zimbabwe3 20051502416.0%11 2005662436.4%
75Kazakhstan8 20071071715.9%8 20054724.3%
76Czech Republic6 20062003115.5%10 2006811113.6%
77Burkina Faso5 20071111715.3%------------
78Zambia9 20061582415.2%------------
79Angola9 19922203315.0%------------
"Chile12 20051201815.0%12 20053825.3%
80Greece9 20073004414.7%------------
81Republic of Korea4 20042994314.4%------------
82Cyprus5 200656814.3%------------
83Israel3 20061201714.2%------------
84Guinea-Bissau3 20041001414.0%------------
"Russian Federation12 20074506314.0%N/A16984.7%
85Cameroon7 20071802513.9%------------
86Djibouti1 200365913.8%------------
87Barbados5 200330413.3%5 200321523.8%
"Ireland5 20071662213.3%7 2007601321.7%
"Jamaica9 200760813.3%9 200721314.3%
88Sierra Leone8 20071211613.2%------------
89Malawi5 20041932513.0%------------
90Liberia10 200564812.5%10 200530516.7%
91Niger12 20041131412.4%------------
92Bahamas5 200741512.2%5 200715960.0%
"Slovenia10 2004901112.2%12 20024012.5%
93Uruguay10 2004991212.1%10 200431412.9%
94Guatemala9 20071581912.0%------------
"Maldives1 200550612.0%------------
"Syrian Arab Republic4 20072503012.0%------------
95Bosnia and Herzegovina10 200642511.9%3 200715213.3%
96San Marino6 200660711.7%------------
"Thailand12 20074775611.7%N/A242218.7%
97Indonesia4 20045506411.6%------------
98Azerbaijan11 20051231411.4%------------
99Botswana10 200463711.1%------------
"Hungary4 20063864311.1%------------
"Montenegro9 200681911.1%------------
"Saint Lucia12 200618211.1%1 200711327.3%
"Togo10 200781911.1%------------
100Ghana12 20042302510.9%------------
101Benin3 200383910.8%------------
"Swaziland10 200365710.8%10 2003301136.7%
102Antigua and Barbuda3 200419210.5%3 200417423.5%
"Central African Republic3 20051051110.5%------------
"Morocco9 20073253410.5%9 200627031.1%
103Mali7 20071471510.2%------------
104Malaysia3 20042192210.0%3 2004651827.7%
"Paraguay4 200380810.0%4 200345613.3%
105Gambia1 20025359.4%------------
"Georgia3 2004235229.4%------------
"Japan9 2005480459.4%7 20072424418.2%
"Romania11 2004330319.4%11 20041371410.2%
106Armenia5 2007131129.2%------------
"Malta4 20036569.2%------------
107India4 2004541499.1%7 2006243249.9%
"Turkey7 2007549509.1%------------
108Brazil10 2006513469.0%10 2006811012.3%
109Cote d'Ivoire12 2000203188.9%------------
110Colombia3 2006166148.4%3 20061021211.8%
"Democratic Republic of the Congo7 2006500428.4%1 200710854.6%
111Samoa3 20064948.2%------------
"Somalia8 2004256218.2%------------
"Ukraine9 2007450378.2%------------
112Madagascar9 2007127107.9%3 2001901011.1%
113Algeria5 2007389307.7%12 200613642.9%
"Libyan Arab Jamahiriya3 2006468367.7%------------
114Congo6 2007137107.3%10 200560813.3%
115Kenya 212 2007207157.2%------------
116Albania7 2005140107.1%------------
117Nigeria4 2007358257.0%4 200710998.3%
118Saint Kitts and Nevis10 20041516.7%------------
119Mongolia6 20047656.6%------------
120Jordan11 200711076.4%11 200755712.7%
121Sri Lanka4 2004225135.8%------------
122Chad4 200215585.2%------------
123Lebanon5 200512864.7%------------
124Kiribati8 20074624.3%------------
125Haiti2 20069844.1%2 200630413.3%
"Iran (Islamic Republic of)2 2004290124.1%------------
126Vanuatu7 20045223.8%------------
127Belize3 20033013.3%3 200313538.5%
"Tonga3 20053013.3%------------
128Comoros4 20043313.0%------------
"Marshall Islands11 20073313.0%------------
129Bhutan1 200615042.7%12 200715320.0%
130Bahrain11 20064012.5%12 2006401025.0%
131Egypt11 200544281.8%6 2007264186.8%
"Sao Tome and Principe3 20065511.8%------------
132Kuwait6 20066511.5%------------
133Papua New Guinea6 200710910.9%------------
134Yemen4 200330110.3%4 200111121.8%
135Micronesia (Federated States of)3 20051400.0%------------
"Nauru8 20071800.0%------------
"Oman10 20078400.0%11 2007701420.0%
"Palau11 20041600.0%11 2004900.0%
"Qatar6 20063500.0%------------
"Saudi Arabia4 200515000.0%------------
"Solomon Islands4 20065000.0%------------
"Tuvalu8 20061500.0%------------
* 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 - Kenya: Situation for 1 January 2008 for directly elected members endorsed by the electoral commission. The additional twelve appointed seats and two ex-officio seats had yet to be filled.

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.

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