South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) … number
South Africa
44.8%
in 2026
Sub-Saharan Africa
27.1%
in 2026
South Africa rank
16th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
19th
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) … number over time
- South Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 44.8% against 27.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 17.7%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.7 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
Across all 27 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 16th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 19th of 212 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.4% | 14.5% | 16.8% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 42.9% | 21.8% | 21.1% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 45.8% | 26.1% | 19.7% | 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, South Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- South Africa, at 44.8% against 27.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2026.
- What is the difference in proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments between South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 17.7%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2026.
- How do South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- South Africa ranks 16th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 19th of 212 countries.
- 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.