Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) vs South Africa: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
27.4%
in 2025
South Africa
44.9%
in 2025
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank
14th
South Africa rank
16th
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments over time
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 44.9% against 27.4% in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), a difference of 17.5%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.6 times Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)'s.
Across all 27 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 14th and South Africa ranks 16th of 47 groups.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.5% | 27.5% | 22.0% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 10.6% | 33.1% | 22.6% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 19.2% | 42.8% | 23.6% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 26.4% | 45.9% | 19.5% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments, Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 44.9% against 27.4% in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments between Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) and South Africa?
- 17.5%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) and South Africa?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2025.
- How do Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) and South Africa rank globally for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 14th and South Africa ranks 16th of 47 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), published as Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber held by women.