South Africa vs United States of America: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments
South Africa
44.8%
in 2026
United States of America
28.9%
in 2026
South Africa rank
16th
United States of America rank
18th
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments over time
- South Africa
- United States of America
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 44.8% against 28.9% in United States of America, a difference of 15.9%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.6 times United States of America's.
Across all 27 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 16th and United States of America ranks 18th of 210 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.4% | 15.0% | 16.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 42.9% | 18.7% | 24.2% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 45.8% | 27.8% | 18.0% | 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 United States of America?
- South Africa, at 44.8% against 28.9% in United States of America as of 2026.
- What is the difference in proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments between South Africa and United States of America?
- 15.9%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States of America?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2026.
- How do South Africa and United States of America rank globally for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- South Africa ranks 16th and United States of America ranks 18th 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.