The data in the table below has been compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the basis of information provided by National Parliaments by 1 March 2003. 182 countries 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.
New: you can now consult an archive of statistical data on women in National Parliaments.

Rank	Country	Lower or single House				Upper House or Senate
		Elections	Seats*	Women	% W	Elections	Seats*	Women	% W
1	Sweden	09 2002	349	158	45.3	---	---	---	---
2	Denmark	11 2001	179	68	38.0	---	---	---	---
3	Netherlands	01 2003	150	55	36.7	05 1999	75	20	26.7
4	Finland	03 1999	200	73	36.5	---	---	---	---
5	Norway	09 2001	165	60	36.4	---	---	---	---
6	Costa Rica	02 2002	57	20	35.1	---	---	---	---
7	Iceland	05 1999	63	22	34.9	---	---	---	---
8	Austria	11 2002	183	62	33.9	N.A.	62	13	21.0
9	Germany	09 2002	603	194	32.2	N.A.	69	17	24.6
10	Argentina	10 2001	257	79	30.7	10 2001	72	24	33.3
11	Mozambique	12 1999	250	75	30.0	---	---	---	---
12	South Africa**	06 1999	399	119	29.8	06 1999	89	17	31.5
13	Seychelles	12 2002	34	10	29.4	---	---	---	---
14	New Zealand	07 2002	120	35	29.2	---	---	---	---
15	Spain	03 2000	350	99	28.3	03 2000	259	63	24.3
16	Viet Nam	05 2002	498	136	27.3	---	---	---	---
17	Grenada	01 1999	15	4	26.7	01 1999	13	1	7.7
18	Namibia	11 1999	72	19	26.4	11 1998	26	2	7.7
19	Bulgaria	06 2001	240	63	26.2	---	---	---	---
20	Dem. Rep. of East Timor***	08 2001	88	23	26.1	---	---	---	---
21	Turkmenistan	12 1999	50	13	26.0	---	---	---	---
22	Rwanda	11 1994	74	19	25.7	---	---	---	---
23	Australia	11 2001	150	38	25.3	10 1998	76	22	28.9
24	Uganda	06 2001	304	75	24.7	---	---	---	---
25	Belgium	06 1999	150	35	23.3	06 1999	71	20	28.2
26	Switzerland	10 1999	200	46	23.0	10 1999	46	9	19.6
27	Lao People's Democratic Rep.	02 2002	109	25	22.9	---	---	---	---
28	Saint Vincent & the Grenadines	03 2001	22	5	22.7	---	---	---	---
29	United Rep. of Tanzania	10 2000	274	61	22.3	---	---	---	---
30	Eritrea	02 1994	150	33	22.0	---	---	---	---
31	China	1997-98	2984	650	21.8	---	---	---	---
32	Pakistan	10 2002	342	72	21.1	02 2003	100	?	?
33	Latvia	10 2002	100	21	21.0	---	---	---	---
34	Monaco	02 2003	24	5	20.8	---	---	---	---
35	Nicaragua	11 2001	92	19	20.7	---	---	---	---
36	Canada	11 2000	301	62	20.6	N.A.	105	34	32.4
37	Croatia	01 2000	151	31	20.5	04 1997	65	4	6.2
38	Poland	09 2001	460	93	20.2	09 2001	100	23	23.0
39	Dem. People's Rep. of Korea	07 1998	687	138	20.1	---	---	---	---
40	Bahamas	05 2002	40	8	20.0	05 2002	16	?	?
"	Guyana	03 2001	65	13	20.0	---	---	---	---
41	Trinidad and Tobago	10 2002	36	7	19.4	12 2001	31	10	32.3
42	Guinea	06 2002	114	22	19.3	---	---	---	---
"	Slovakia	09 2002	150	29	19.3	---	---	---	---
43	Senegal	04 2001	120	23	19.2	---	---	---	---
44	Portugal	03 2002	230	44	19.1	---	---	---	---
45	Dominica	01 2000	32	6	18.8	---	---	---	---
46	Bolivia	06 2002	130	24	18.5	06 2002	27	4	14.8
47	Burundi	06 1993	179	33	18.4	01 2002	53	10	18.9
48	Peru	04 2001	120	22	17.5	---	---	---	---
"	The f.Y.R. of Macedonia	09 2002	120	22	18.3	---	---	---	---
49	United Kingdom	06 2001	659	118	17.9	N.A.	713	117	16.4
50	Estonia	03 1999	101	18	17.8	---	---	---	---
"	Philippines	05 2001	214	38	17.8	05 2001	24	3	12.5
51	Suriname	05 2000	51	9	17.6	---	---	---	---
52	Dominican Republic	05 2002	150	26	17.3	05 2002	32	2	6.3
53	Botswana	10 1999	47	8	17.0	---	---	---	---
"	Czech Republic	06 2002	200	34	17.0	10 2002	81	10	12.3
54	Bosnia and Herzegovina	10 2002	42	7	16.7	11 2002	15	0	0.0
"	Luxembourg	06 1999	60	10	16.7	---	---	---	---
"	San Marino	06 2001	60	10	16.7	---	---	---	---
55	Ecuador	10 2002	100	16	16.0	---	---	---	---
"	Mexico	07 2000	500	80	16.0	07 2000	128	20	15.6
56	Angola	09 1992	220	34	15.5	---	---	---	---
57	Israel	01 2003	120	18	15.0	---	---	---	---
58	Sierra Leone	05 2002	124	18	14.5	---	---	---	---
59	Andorra	03 2001	28	4	14.3	---	---	---	---
"	United States of America	11 2002	435	62	14.3	11 2002	100	13	13
60	Ireland	05 2002	166	22	13.3	07 2002	60	10	16.7
"	Saint Kitts and Nevis	03 2000	15	2	13.3	---	---	---	---
61	Gambia	01 2002	53	7	13.2	---	---	---	---
62	Republic of Moldova	02 2001	101	13	12.9	---	---	---	---
63	Tajikistan	02 2000	63	8	12.7	03 2000	34	4	11.8
64	Chile	12 2001	120	15	12.5	12 2001	49	2	4.1
65	France	06 2002	574	70	12.2	09 2001	321	35	10.9
"	Slovenia	10 2000	90	11	12.2	---	---	---	---
66	Uruguay	10 1999	99	12	12.1	10 1999	31	3	9.7
67	Colombia	03 2002	166	20	12.0	03 2002	102	9	8.8
"	Liechtenstein	02 2001	25	3	12.0	---	---	---	---
"	Zambia	12 2001	158	19	12.0	---	---	---	---
68	Singapore	11 2001	85	10	11.8	---	---	---	---
69	Burkina Faso	05 2002	111	13	11.7	---	---	---	---
"	Jamaica	10 2002	60	7	11.7	10 2002	21	4	19.0
70	Italy	05 2001	618	71	11.5	05 2001	321	26	8.1
"	Tunisia	10 1999	182	21	11.5	---	---	---	---
71	Cape Verde	01 2001	72	8	11.1	---	---	---	---
"	Saint Lucia	12 2001	18	2	11.1	12 2001	11	4	36.4
72	Djibouti	01 2003	65	7	10.8	---	---	---	---
"	Morocco	09 2002	325	35	10.8	9 2001	270	1	0.4
73	Barbados	01 1999	28	3	10.7	01 1999	21	7	33.3
"	Cyprus	05 2001	56	6	10.7	---	---	---	---
"	Romania	11 2000	345	37	10.7	11 2000	140	8	5.7
74	Lithuania	10 2000	141	15	10.6	---	---	---	---
75	Azerbaijan	11 2000	124	13	10.5	---	---	---	---
"	Mongolia	07 2000	76	8	10.5	---	---	---	---
76	Kazakhstan	10 1999	77	8	10.4	10 2002	39	2	5.1
"	Malaysia	11 1999	193	20	10.4	03 1998	69	18	26.1
"	Syrian Arab Republic	11 1998	250	26	10.4	---	---	---	---
77	Belarus	10 2000	97	10	10.3	12 2000	61	19	31.1
78	Mali	07 2002	147	15	10.2	---	---	---	---
79	Kyrgyzstan	02 2000	60	6	10.0	02 2000	45	1	2.2
"	Zimbabwe	06 2000	150	15	10.0	---	---	---	---
80	Panama	05 1999	71	7	9.9	---	---	---	---
81	Hungary	04 2002	386	38	9.8	---	---	---	---
82	Sudan	12 2000	360	35	9.7	---	---	---	---
"	Venezuela	07 2000	165	16	9.7	---	---	---	---
83	El Salvador	03 2000	84	8	9.5	---	---	---	---
84	Bhutan	N.A.	150	14	9.3	---	---	---	---
"	Congo	05 2002	129	12	9.3	07 2002	60	9	15.0
"	Malawi	06 1999	193	18	9.3	---	---	---	---
85	Gabon	12 2001	119	11	9.2	02 2003	91	?	?
"	Malta	09 1998	65	6	9.2	---	---	---	---
"	Thailand	01 2001	500	46	9.2	03 2000	200	21	10.5
86	Sao Tome and Principe	03 2002	55	5	9.1	---	---	---	---
87	Ghana	12 2000	200	18	9.0	---	---	---	---
88	Cameroon	06 2002	180	16	8.9	---	---	---	---
89	Guatemala	11 1999	113	10	8.8	---	---	---	---
"	India	09 1999	543	48	8.8	11 2002	242	25	10.3
90	Greece	04 2000	300	26	8.7	---	---	---	---
91	Brazil	10 2002	513	44	8.6	10 2002	81	10	12.3
92	Cote d'Ivoire	12 2000	223	19	8.5	---	---	---	---
93	Lesotho	05 2002	120	10	8.3	N.A.	33	?	?
94	Indonesia	06 1999	500	40	8.0	---	---	---	---
95	Guinea-Bissau	11 1999	102	8	7.8	---	---	---	---
"	Liberia	07 1997	64	5	7.8	07 1997	26	5	19.2
96	Ethiopia	05 2000	547	42	7.7	05 2000	120	10	8.3
97	Iraq	03 2000	250	19	7.6	---	---	---	---
"	Russian Federation	12 1999	449	34	7.6	N.A.	178	6	3.4
98	Cambodia	07 1998	122	9	7.4	03 1999	61	8	13.1
"	Togo	10 2002	81	6	7.4	---	---	---	---
99	Central African Republic	11 1998	109	8	7.3	---	---	---	---
"	Japan	06 2000	480	35	7.3	07 2001	247	38	15.4
100	Georgia	10 1999	235	17	7.2	---	---	---	---
"	Uzbekistan	12 1999	250	18	7.2	---	---	---	---
"	Serbia and Montenegro	09 2000	138	10	7.2	09 2000	40	1	2.5
101	Kenya	12 2002	224	16	7.1	---	---	---	---
102	Belize	08 1998	29	2	6.9	01 2002	8	?	?
103	Algeria	05 2002	389	24	6.2	12 1997	144	8	5.6
104	Samoa	03 2001	49	3	6.1	---	---	---	---
105	Benin	03 1999	83	5	6.0	---	---	---	---
"	Maldives	11 1999	50	3	6.0	---	---	---	---
106	Nepal	05 1999	205	12	5.9	06 2001	60	?	?
"	Republic of Korea	04 2000	273	16	5.9	---	---	---	---
107	Chad	04 2002	155	9	5.8	---	---	---	---
108	Albania	06 2001	140	8	5.7	---	---	---	---
"	Fiji	08 2001	70	4	5.7	08 2001	32	?	?
"	Mauritius	09 2000	70	4	5.7	---	---	---	---
109	Honduras	11 2001	128	7	5.5	---	---	---	---
110	Antigua and Barbuda	03 1999	19	1	5.3	03 1999	17	2	11.8
"	Ukraine	03 2002	450	24	5.3	---	---	---	---
111	Equatorial Guinea	03 1999	80	4	5.0	---	---	---	---
112	Kiribati	12 2002	42	2	4.8	---	---	---	---
113	Sri Lanka	12 2001	225	10	4.4	---	---	---	---
"	Turkey	11 2002	550	24	4.4	---	---	---	---
114	Iran (Islamic Rep. of)	02 2000	290	12	4.1	---	---	---	---
115	Madagascar	12 2002	160	6	3.8	03 2001	90	10	11.1
116	Haiti	05 2000	83	3	3.6	05 2000	27	7	25.9
117	Nigeria	02 1999	351	12	3.4	02 1999	108	3	2.8
118	Armenia	05 1999	131	4	3.1	---	---	---	---
"	Swaziland	10 1998	65	2	3.1	10 1998	30	4	13.3
119	Marshall Islands	11 1999	33	1	3.0	---	---	---	---
120	Paraguay	05 1998	80	2	2.5	05 1998	45	8	17.8
121	Egypt	11 2000	454	11	2.4	---	---	---	---
122	Lebanon	08 2000	128	3	2.3	---	---	---	---
123	Bangladesh	10 2001	300	6	2.0	---	---	---	---
124	Vanuatu	05 2002	52	1	1.9	---	---	---	---
125	Jordan	11 1997	80	1	1.3	11 1997	40	3	7.5
126	Niger	11 1999	83	1	1.2	---	---	---	---
127	Papua New Guinea	06 2002	109	1	0.9	---	---	---	---
128	Yemen	04 1997	299	2	0.7	---	---	---	---
129	Bahrain	10 2002	40	0	0.0	N.A.	40	5	12.5
"	Kuwait	07 1999	65	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Micronesia (Fed. States of)	03 1999	14	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Nauru	04 2000	18	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Palau	11 2000	16	0	0.0	11 2000	9	0	0.0
"	Solomon Islands	12 2001	50	0.0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	Tuvalu	07 2002	15	0	0.0	---	---	---	---
"	United Arab Emirates	12 1997	40	0	0	---	---	---	---
?	Cuba	01 2003	609	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	03 1997	760	?	?	---	---	---	---
?	Mauritania	10 2001	81	?	?	04 2000	56	1	1.8
?	Tonga	03 2002	30	?	?	---	---	---	---

* Figures correspond to the number of seats currently filled in Parliament ** South Africa: the figures on the distribution of seats do not include the 36 special rotating delegates appointed on an ad hoc basis, and the percentages given are therefore calculated on the basis of the 54 permanent seats *** Democratic Republic of East Timor: The purpose of elections held on 30 August 2001 was to elect members of the Constituent Assembly of East Timor. This body became the National Parliament on 20 May 2002, the date on which the country became independent, without any new elections.