Northern America vs South Africa: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments
Northern America
29.5%
in 2026
South Africa
44.8%
in 2026
Northern America rank
16th
South Africa rank
16th
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments over time
- Northern America
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 44.8% against 29.5% in Northern America, a difference of 15.3%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.5 times Northern America's.
Across all 27 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Northern America ranks 16th 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 | Northern America | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.4% | 31.4% | 13.9% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 21.4% | 42.9% | 21.5% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 28.8% | 45.8% | 16.9% | 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, Northern America or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 44.8% against 29.5% in Northern America as of 2026.
- What is the difference in proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments between Northern America and South Africa?
- 15.3%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Northern America and South Africa?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2026.
- How do Northern America and South Africa rank globally for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Northern America ranks 16th 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.