Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Europe
Europe: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 33.3% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Europe, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2026, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Europe stood at 33.3%. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 22.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Europe peaked at 33.3% in 2026 and was at its lowest, 16.8%, in 2000.
Europe ranks 9th of 42 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Europe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.8% | — |
| 2001 | 17.4% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 18.4% | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 19.1% | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 19.4% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 20.5% | +5.4% |
| 2006 | 20.6% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 21.4% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 22.3% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 22.6% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 23.2% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 23.3% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 23.8% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 24.9% | +4.4% |
| 2014 | 26.4% | +6.0% |
| 2015 | 26.7% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 27.1% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 28.0% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 28.9% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 29.8% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 31.4% | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 31.8% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 32.6% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 32.4% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 32.9% | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 32.9% | +0.2% |
| 2026 | 33.3% | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19.9% | 16.8% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.2% | 23.2% | 29.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.5% | 31.4% | 33.3% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Europe
- 6 Andorra 50.0% compare
- 6 United Arab Emirates 50.0% compare
- 8 Costa Rica 49.1% compare
- 9 Iceland 46.0% compare
- 10 Australia 46.0% compare
- 11 Cabo Verde 45.8% compare
- 11 Monaco 45.8% compare
More gender data for Europe
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 3,013 (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 18.6% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, pregnant 19.4% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, non-pregnant 18.6% (2023)
- Proportion of women in managerial positions - 13th ICLS 38.2% (2025)
- Adjusted gender parity index for participation rate in organized 0.9986 (2024)
- Ratio for female members of parliaments (Ratio of the proportion of) 0.6% (2026)
- Ratio for female members of parliaments (Ratio of the proportion of) 0.6% (2026)
- Proportion of women of reproductive age (aged 15-49 years) who have 80.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Europe?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Europe was 33.3% 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 Europe?
- The highest recorded value was 33.3% in 2026.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Europe?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.8% in 2000.
- How does Europe rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Europe ranks 9th out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Europe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe 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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