Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe
Western Europe: Number of seats held by women in national parliaments was 723 in 2026. ▲ Rising
Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2026, number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe stood at 723.
That represents a change of down 6.1% on the previous year and up 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe peaked at 805 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 468, in 2000.
That places Western Europe 21st 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 Western Europe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 468 | — |
| 2001 | 469 | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 475 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 479 | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 502 | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 508 | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 509 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 505 | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 553 | +9.5% |
| 2009 | 550 | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 566 | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 566 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 564 | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 606 | +7.4% |
| 2014 | 649 | +7.1% |
| 2015 | 640 | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 643 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 642 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 707 | +10.1% |
| 2019 | 711 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 744 | +4.6% |
| 2021 | 751 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 805 | +7.2% |
| 2023 | 794 | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 787 | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 770 | -2.2% |
| 2026 | 723 | -6.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 501.8 | 468 | 553 | 10 |
| 2010s | 629.4 | 564 | 711 | 10 |
| 2020s | 767.71 | 723 | 805 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Western Europe
- 18 Poland 145 compare
- 19 Sudan 133 compare
- 20 Italy 131 compare
- 21 Indonesia 129 compare
- 22 Australia and New Zealand 125 compare
- 22 United States of America 125 compare
- 24 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 121 compare
More gender data for Western Europe
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 28,938 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.8714 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 172,392 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 172,392 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.1284 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 41.37 (2027)
- SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions 34.05 (2025)
- Women of reproductive age 106.67 million (2023)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 36.2% (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 14.2% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe?
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe was 723 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 Europe?
- The highest recorded value was 805 in 2022.
- What is the lowest number of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Western Europe?
- The lowest recorded value was 468 in 2000.
- How does Western Europe rank for number of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Western Europe ranks 21st out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is number of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Western Europe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Europe 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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