Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in India
India: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 13.8% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Latest (2026)
13.8%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
168th
of 210 countries
All-time high
15.1%
in 2023
All-time low
8.3%
in 2006
Years of data
27
2000–2026
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in India, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2026, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in India stood at 13.8%.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in India peaked at 15.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.3%, in 2006.
That places India 168th out of 210 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the bottom 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 India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9.0% | — |
| 2001 | 9.0% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 8.8% | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 8.8% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 8.8% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 8.3% | -6.2% |
| 2006 | 8.3% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 8.3% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 9.1% | +9.7% |
| 2009 | 9.1% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 10.8% | +19.5% |
| 2011 | 10.8% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 11.0% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 11.0% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 11.4% | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 12.0% | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 12.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 11.8% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 11.8% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12.6% | +6.7% |
| 2020 | 14.4% | +14.0% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 14.9% | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 15.1% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 14.7% | -2.7% |
| 2025 | 13.8% | -6.3% |
| 2026 | 13.8% | +0.4% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 13.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 21.7%, 64% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- India's 13.8% is above the median for South Asia, which is 11.8%, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.7% | 8.3% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.5% | 10.8% | 12.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.5% | 13.8% | 15.1% | 7 |
Countries ranked near India
- 165 Ghana 14.5% compare
- 166 Cyprus 14.3% compare
- 167 Micronesia 14.2% compare
- 169 Cambodia 13.6% compare
- 170 Malaysia 13.6% compare
- 171 Côte d'Ivoire 13.4% compare
- 171 Cote d'Ivoire 13.4% compare
More gender data for India
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 341,454 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.5667 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1.18 million (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1.18 million (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 10.96 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 11.71 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 10.92 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 11.70 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 10.89 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in India?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in India was 13.8% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 15.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.3% in 2006.
- How does India rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- India ranks 168th out of 210 countries with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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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