Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in OECD members
OECD members: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 33.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in OECD members, 1997–2025
Source: Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in OECD members is 33.4%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in OECD members peaked at 33.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 16.0%, in 1997.
OECD members ranks 5th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 16.0% | — |
| 1998 | 16.3% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 17.3% | +5.8% |
| 2000 | 18.0% | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 17.7% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 19.2% | +8.5% |
| 2003 | 19.5% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 20.1% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 20.7% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 21.1% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 22.2% | +5.4% |
| 2008 | 22.4% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 23.1% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 23.2% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 24.0% | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 25.0% | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 26.2% | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 26.8% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 27.8% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 28.0% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 28.9% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 29.9% | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 30.8% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 31.5% | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 32.4% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 32.5% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 32.8% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 33.3% | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 33.4% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.5% | 16.0% | 17.3% | 3 |
| 2000s | 20.4% | 17.7% | 23.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.0% | 23.2% | 30.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.7% | 31.5% | 33.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 2 Cuba 55.7% compare
- 3 Nicaragua 54.9% compare
- 4 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 50.8% compare
- 5 Mexico 50.2% compare
- 6 Andorra 50.0% compare
- 6 United Arab Emirates 50.0% compare
- 8 Costa Rica 49.1% compare
More public sector data for OECD members
- Arms imports 11.87 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 8.5 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 26.58 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 11.87 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 1,238 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0253 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 12.54 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 1.73 trillion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 265.52 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in OECD members?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in OECD members was 33.4% 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 33.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.0% in 1997.
- How does OECD members rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- OECD members ranks 5th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD members 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.