Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America
South America: Number of seats held by women in national parliaments was 667 in 2026. ▲ Rising
Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2026, number of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America stood at 667. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 53.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America peaked at 667 in 2026 and was at its lowest, 228, in 2001.
That places South America 22nd out of 42 groups with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 241 | — |
| 2001 | 228 | -5.4% |
| 2002 | 255 | +11.8% |
| 2003 | 272 | +6.7% |
| 2004 | 278 | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 294 | +5.8% |
| 2006 | 316 | +7.5% |
| 2007 | 331 | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 346 | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 345 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 364 | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 366 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 355 | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 355 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 376 | +5.9% |
| 2015 | 426 | +13.3% |
| 2016 | 436 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 470 | +7.8% |
| 2018 | 446 | -5.1% |
| 2019 | 511 | +14.6% |
| 2020 | 519 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 515 | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 521 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 560 | +7.5% |
| 2024 | 565 | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 664 | +17.5% |
| 2026 | 667 | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 290.6 | 228 | 346 | 10 |
| 2010s | 410.5 | 355 | 511 | 10 |
| 2020s | 573 | 515 | 667 | 7 |
Countries ranked near South America
More gender data for South America
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 85,918 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.25 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 362,840 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 362,840 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.8634 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 36.64 (2027)
- SDG indicator 1.1.1: Working poverty rate 3.12 (2025)
- SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions 38.56 (2025)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 31.7% (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 21.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America?
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America was 667 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 South America?
- The highest recorded value was 667 in 2026.
- What is the lowest number of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in South America?
- The lowest recorded value was 228 in 2001.
- How does South America rank for number of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- South America ranks 22nd out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is number of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in South America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South America 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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