South Africa vs World: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments
South Africa
44.8%
in 2026
World
27.4%
in 2026
South Africa rank
16th
World rank
19th
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments over time
- South Africa
- World
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 44.8% against 27.4% in World, a difference of 17.4%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.6 times World's.
Across all 27 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 16th and World ranks 19th 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 | World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.4% | 15.8% | 15.6% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 42.9% | 21.7% | 21.2% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 45.8% | 26.4% | 19.4% | 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 World?
- South Africa, at 44.8% against 27.4% in World as of 2026.
- What is the difference in proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments between South Africa and World?
- 17.4%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and World?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2026.
- How do South Africa and World rank globally for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- South Africa ranks 16th and World ranks 19th 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.