Eastern Africa vs South Africa: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments
Eastern Africa
31.1%
in 2026
South Africa
44.8%
in 2026
Eastern Africa rank
13th
South Africa rank
16th
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments over time
- Eastern Africa
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 44.8% against 31.1% in Eastern Africa, a difference of 13.7%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.4 times Eastern Africa's.
Across all 27 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Eastern Africa ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 16th of 42 groups.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Eastern Africa | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.3% | 31.4% | 14.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 26.6% | 42.9% | 16.3% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 31.3% | 45.8% | 14.5% | 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, Eastern Africa or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 44.8% against 31.1% in Eastern Africa as of 2026.
- What is the difference in proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments between Eastern Africa and South Africa?
- 13.7%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Eastern Africa and South Africa?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2026.
- How do Eastern Africa and South Africa rank globally for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Eastern Africa ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 16th of 42 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (% of total number of seats). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.