Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa
Africa: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 25.9% in 2026. ▬ Flat
Latest (2026)
25.9%
Change on year
up 0.1%
Rank
23rd
of 42 groups
All-time high
26.0%
in 2024
All-time low
24.8%
in 2021
Years of data
6
2021–2026
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa, 2021–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2026, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa stood at 25.9%.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
That places Africa 23rd out of 42 groups with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 24.8% | — |
| 2022 | 25.1% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 25.6% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 26.0% | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 25.8% | -0.5% |
| 2026 | 25.9% | +0.1% |
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)
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 2,719 (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 35.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Africa was 25.9% in 2026, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 26.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.8% in 2021.
- How does Africa rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Africa ranks 23rd out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. 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 Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (% of total number of seats). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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