Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa
Africa: Number of seats held by women in national parliaments was 2,719 in 2026. ▬ Flat
Latest (2026)
2,719
Change on year
up 2.0%
Rank
6th
of 42 groups
All-time high
2,719
in 2026
All-time low
2,591
in 2021
Years of data
6
2021–2026
Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa, 2021–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa is 2,719, measured in 2026. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Africa ranks 6th of 42 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,591 | — |
| 2022 | 2,626 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 2,638 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 2,670 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 2,665 | -0.2% |
| 2026 | 2,719 | +2.0% |
Countries ranked near Africa
More gender data for Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 639,604 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.18 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1.09 million (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1.09 million (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.69 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 35.2 (2027)
- SDG indicator 1.1.1: Working poverty rate 35.62 (2025)
- SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions 40.3 (2025)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 25.9% (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 35.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa?
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa was 2,719 in 2026, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest number of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2,719 in 2026.
- What is the lowest number of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,591 in 2021.
- How does Africa rank for number of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Africa ranks 6th out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is number of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Number of seats held by women in national parliaments (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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