Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) in Benin
Benin: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) was 26.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Benin, 1997–2025
Source: Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Measured in %.
Analysis
Benin recorded 26.6% for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in 2025. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.
That represents a change of up 268.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Benin peaked at 26.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 1999.
That places Benin 93rd out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 7.2% | — |
| 1998 | 7.2% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6.0% | -16.7% |
| 2000 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 7.2% | +20.0% |
| 2005 | 7.2% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 7.2% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 10.8% | +50.0% |
| 2008 | 10.8% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10.8% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 10.8% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8.4% | -22.2% |
| 2012 | 8.4% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8.4% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8.4% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 7.2% | -14.3% |
| 2016 | 7.2% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 7.2% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 7.2% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 7.2% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 7.2% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 8.4% | +16.7% |
| 2022 | 7.4% | -12.2% |
| 2023 | 26.6% | +259.2% |
| 2024 | 26.6% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 26.6% | +0.0% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 26.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 22.6%, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Benin's 26.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 23.3%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.8% | 6.0% | 7.2% | 3 |
| 2000s | 7.8% | 6.0% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.1% | 7.2% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.1% | 7.2% | 26.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More public sector data for Benin
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 4.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.4149 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0003 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -45.45 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Benin?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Benin was 26.6% in 2025, according to Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
- What is the highest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 26.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 1999.
- How does Benin rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Benin ranks 93rd out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 268.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), published as part of Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Women in parliaments are the percentage of parliamentary seats in a single or lower chamber held by women.