Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Korea
South Korea: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 20.8% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Korea, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2026, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Korea stood at 20.8%. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 27.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Korea peaked at 20.8% in 2026 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2000.
South Korea ranks 132nd of 210 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.7% | — |
| 2001 | 5.9% | +59.2% |
| 2002 | 5.9% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5.9% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5.5% | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 13.0% | +135.4% |
| 2006 | 13.4% | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 13.4% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 14.4% | +7.5% |
| 2009 | 13.7% | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 14.7% | +7.4% |
| 2011 | 14.7% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 14.7% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 15.7% | +6.5% |
| 2014 | 15.7% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 16.3% | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 16.3% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 17.0% | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 17.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 17.1% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 17.3% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 19.0% | +9.9% |
| 2022 | 18.6% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 19.1% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 19.2% | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 20.3% | +5.9% |
| 2026 | 20.8% | +2.4% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 20.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 31.2%, 67% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 20.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.4%, 1.4× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +135.4% | 5.5% | 13.0% |
| 2001 | +59.2% | 3.7% | 5.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.5% | 3.7% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.9% | 14.7% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.2% | 17.3% | 20.8% | 7 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 130 Ukraine 21.1% compare
- 131 Bangladesh 20.9% compare
- 132 Republic of Korea 20.8% compare
- 134 Azerbaijan 20.8% compare
- 135 Eswatini 20.3% compare
More gender data for South Korea
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 4,318 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -3.79 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 46,871 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 46,871 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.0957 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 119,025 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 125,732 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 116,471 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 122,813 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 119,098 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Korea?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Korea was 20.8% 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 20.8% in 2026.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2000.
- How does South Korea rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- South Korea ranks 132nd out of 210 countries with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).