South Africa vs Sweden: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments
South Africa
44.8%
in 2026
Sweden
44.7%
in 2026
South Africa rank
16th
Sweden rank
17th
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments over time
- South Africa
- Sweden
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 44.8% against 44.7% in Sweden, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 27 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Sweden ahead.
South Africa ranks 16th and Sweden ranks 17th of 210 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.4% | 45.0% | 13.7% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 42.9% | 44.7% | 1.8% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 45.8% | 46.1% | 0.3% | Sweden |
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 Sweden?
- South Africa, at 44.8% against 44.7% in Sweden as of 2026.
- What is the difference in proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments between South Africa and Sweden?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sweden?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2026.
- How do South Africa and Sweden rank globally for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- South Africa ranks 16th and Sweden ranks 17th of 210 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.