Graphic

Women in world parliaments and congress

Below is a ranking of countries and the percentage of women serving in available seats of the lower or single house of parliament or congress.


Click on table headers to sort alphabetically by name or numerically by rank.
Rank Country Number of Seats Number of Women Percent
1. Rwanda 80 45 56.3%
2. Sweden 349 162 46.4%
3. South Africa 400 178 44.5%
4. Cuba 614 265 43.2%
5. Iceland 63 27 42.9%
6. Netherlands 150 63 42%
7. Finland 200 80 40%
8. Norrway 169 67 39.6%
9. Mozambique 250 98 39.2%
10. Angola 220 85 38.6%
11. Argentina 257 99 38.5%
12.(tie) Belgium 150 57 38%
12.(tie) Denmark 179 68 38%
13. Costa Rica 57 21 36.8%
14. Spain 350 128 36.6%
15. Andorra 28 10 35.7%
16. New Zealand 122 41 33.6%
17. Nepal 594 197 33.2%
18. Germany 622 204 32.8%
19. The F.Y.R. of Macedonia 120 39 32.5%
20. Ecuador 124 40 32.3%
21. Belarus 110 35 31.8%
22. Uganda 324 102 31.5%
23. Burundi 118 37 31.4%
24. United Republic of Tanzania 323 99 30.7%
25. Guyana 70 21 30%
26. Timor-Leste 65 19 29.2%
27. Switzerland 200 58 29%
28. Austria 183 51 27.9%
29. (tie) Mexico 500 138 27.6%
29.(tie) Tunisia 214 59 27.6%
30. Peru 120 33 27.5%
31. Portugal 230 63 27.4%
32. (tie) Afghanistan 249 68 27.3%
32. (tie) Australia 150 41 27.3%
33. Namibia 78 21 26.9%
34. Trinidad and Tobago 41 11 26.8%
35. Monaco 23 6 26.1%
36. Vietnam 493 127 25.8%
37. Kyrgyzstan 90 23 25.6%
38. (tie) Iraq 275 70 25.5%
38. (tie) Suriname 51 13 25.5%
39. Lao People's Democratic Republic 115 29 25.2%
40. Lesotho 120 29 24.2%
41. Lichtenstein 25 6 24%
42. Republic of Moldova 101 24 23.8%
43. (tie) Seychelles 34 8 23.5%
43. (tie) Croatia 153 36 23.5%
44. Singapore 94 22 23.4%
45. Estonia 101 23 22.8%
46. Senegal 150 34 22.7%
47. United Arab Emirates 40 9 22.5%
48. Bolivia 130 29 22.3%
49. Pakistan 342 76 22.2%
50. (tie) Canada 308 68 22.1%
50. (tie) Mauritania 95 21 22.1
51. (tie) Eritrea 150 33 22%
51. (tie) Latvia 100 22 22%
51. (tie) Uzbekistan 150 33 22%
52. Ethiopia 529 116 21.9%
53. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 23 5 21.7%
54. Serbia 250 54 21.6%
55. (tie) China 2987 637 21.3%
55. (tie) Italy 630 134 21.3%
56. Cambodia 123 26 21.1%
57. Philippines 267 56 21%
58. (tie) Bulgaria 240 50 20.8%
58. (tie) Malawi 192 40 20.8%
59. Nicaragua 92 19 20.7%
60. (tie) Luxemborg 60 12 20%
60. (tie) Poland 460 92 20%
61. Dominican Republic 178 35 19.7%
62. United Kingdom 646 126 19.5%
63. Israel 120 23 19.2%
64. Lithuania 141 27 19.1%
65. (tie) Bosnia and Herzegovina 42 8 19%
65. (tie) El Salvador 84 16 19%
66. (tie) France 577 109 18.9%
66. (tie) Sudan 444 84 18.9%
67. Bangladesh 345 64 18.6%
68. Cape Verde 72 13 18.1%
69. (tie) Honduras 128 23 18%
69. (tie) Indonesia 560 101 18%
69. (tie) Slovakia 150 27 18%
70. Kazakhstan 107 19 17.8%
71. (tie) Tajikistan 63 11 17.5%
71. (tie) Venezuela 166 29 17.5%
72. Greece 300 52 17.3%
73. Mauritius 70 12 17.1%
74. (tie) Turkmenistan 125 21 16.8%
74. (tie) United States of America 435 73 16.8%
75. San Marino 60 10 16.7%
76. Albania 140 23 16.4%
77. Democratic People's Republic of Korea 687 107 15.6%
78. Czech Republic 200 31 15.5%
79. Burkina Faso 111 17 15.3%
80. Zimbabwe 214 32 15%
81. (tie) Gabon 116 17 14.7%
81. (tie) Republic of Korea 299 44 14.7%
82. Slovenia 90 13 14.4%
83. Dominica 28 4 14.3%
84. Chile 120 17 14.2%
85. Uruguay 99 14 14.1%
86. (tie) Russian Federation 450 63 14%
86. (tie) Zambia 157 22 14%
87. (tie) Cameroon 180 25 13.9%
87. (tie) Ireland 165 23 13.9%
88. Djibouti 65 9 13.8%
89. Swaziland 66 9 13.6%
90. (tie) Grenada 15 2 13.3%
90. (tie) Jamaica 60 8 13.3%
90. (tie) Thailand 473 63 13.3%
91. Sierra Leone 121 16 13.2%
92. (tie) Cyprus 56 7 12.5%
92. (tie) Liberia 64 8 12.5%
92. (tie) Paraguay 80 10 12.5%
93. Syrian Arab Republic 250 31 12.4%
94. Bahamas 41 5 12.2%
95. Guatemala 158 19 12%
96. (tie) Azerbaijan 123 14 11.4%
96. (tie) Romania 334 38 11.4%
97. Japan 480 54 11.3%
98. (tie) Hungary 386 43 11.1%
98. (tie) Montenegro 81 9 11.1%
98. (tie) Saint Lucia 18 2 11.1%
98. (tie) Togo 81 9 11.1%
99. (tie) Benin 83 9 10.8%
99. (tie) India 545 59 10.8%
100. (tie) Antigua and Barbuda 19 2 10.5%
100. (tie) Morocco 325 34 10.5%
101. Mali 147 15 10.2%
102. (tie) Barbados 30 3 10%
102. (tie) Equatorial Guinea 100 10 10%
102. (tie) Guinea-Bissau 100 10 10%
103. Malaysia 222 22 9.9%
104. Kenya 224 22 9.8%
105. Niger 113 11 9.7%
106. Central African Republic 104 10 9.6%
107. Armenia 131 12 9.2%
108. Turkey 549 50 9.1%
110. Brazil 513 45 8.8%
111. Malta 69 6 8.7%
112. (tie) Bhutan 47 4 8.5%
112. (tie) Panama 71 6 8.5%
113. (tie) Colombia 166 14 8.4%
113. (tie) Democratic Republic of the Congo 500 42 8.4%
114. Ghana 230 19 8.3%
115. Samoa 49 4 8.2%
116. Ukraine 450 36 8%
117. Botswana 63 5 7.9%
118. (tie) Algeria 389 30 7.7%
118. (tie) Kuwait 65 5 7.7%
118. (tie) Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 468 36 7.7%
119. Gambia 53 4 7.5%
120. (tie) Congo 137 10 7.3%
120. (tie) Sao Tome and Principe 55 4 7.3%
121. Nigeria 358 25 7%
122. Somalia 539 37 6.9%
123. Maldives 77 5 6.5%
124. Jordan 110 7 6.4%
125. Sri Lanka 225 13 5.8%
126. Chad 155 8 5.2%
127. Georgia 137 7 5.1%
128. Kiribati 46 2 4.3%
129. Haiti 98 4 4.1%
130. Mongolia 76 3 3.9%
131. Vanuatu 52 2 3.8%
132. (tie) Lebanon 128 4 3.1%
132. (tie) Tonga 32 1 3.1%
133. Marshall Islands 33 1 3%
134. Iran 290 8 2.8%
135. Bahrain 40 1 2.5%
136. Egypt 454 8 1.8%
137. Papua New Guinea 109 1 0.9%
138. Yemen 301 1 0.3%
139. (tie) Belize 32 0 0%
139. (tie) Comoros 33 0 0%
139. (tie) Micronesia 14 0 0%
139. (tie) Nauru 18 0 0%
139. (tie) Oman 84 0 0%
139. (tie) Palau 16 0 0%
139. (tie) Qatar 35 0 0%
139. (tie) Saudi Arabia 150 0 0%
139. (tie) Solomon Islands 50 0 0%
139. (tie) Tuvalu 15 0 0%
140. Saint Kitts and Nevis 15 Unknown Unknown
Notes: Figures correspond to the number of seats currently filled in Parliament

Guinea: The parliament was dissolved following the December 2008 coup.

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.

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

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.

SOURCE: Interparliamentary Union By Kenneth W. Smith Jr. -- The Washington Post

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