Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa
Western Africa: Number of seats held by women in national parliaments was 454 in 2026. ▲ Rising
Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa is 454, measured in 2026. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
That represents a change of up 8.1% on the previous year and up 42.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa peaked at 454 in 2026 and was at its lowest, 133, in 2000.
Western Africa ranks 26th of 42 groups on this measure, 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 Western Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 133 | — |
| 2001 | 145 | +9.0% |
| 2002 | 154 | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 183 | +18.8% |
| 2004 | 188 | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 213 | +13.3% |
| 2006 | 224 | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 239 | +6.7% |
| 2008 | 264 | +10.5% |
| 2009 | 231 | -12.5% |
| 2010 | 229 | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 218 | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 241 | +10.6% |
| 2013 | 285 | +18.3% |
| 2014 | 334 | +17.2% |
| 2015 | 324 | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 318 | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 348 | +9.4% |
| 2018 | 350 | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 354 | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 353 | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 375 | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 394 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | 424 | +7.6% |
| 2024 | 424 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 420 | -0.9% |
| 2026 | 454 | +8.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 197.4 | 133 | 264 | 10 |
| 2010s | 300.1 | 218 | 354 | 10 |
| 2020s | 406.29 | 353 | 454 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Western Africa
More gender data for Western Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 198,948 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.9192 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 320,269 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 320,269 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.85 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 26.63 (2027)
- SDG indicator 1.1.1: Working poverty rate 28.16 (2025)
- SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions 42.34 (2025)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 19.9% (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 41.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa?
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa was 454 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 Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 454 in 2026.
- What is the lowest number of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 133 in 2000.
- How does Western Africa rank for number of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Western Africa ranks 26th out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is number of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western 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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