Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Middle Africa
Middle Africa: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 23.1% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Middle Africa, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2026, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Middle Africa stood at 23.1%.
That represents a change of down 1.0% 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 Middle Africa peaked at 23.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 2002.
That places Middle Africa 31st 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.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Middle Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.6% | — |
| 2001 | 8.7% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 7.6% | -13.1% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | +25.0% |
| 2004 | 10.4% | +10.3% |
| 2005 | 11.2% | +7.9% |
| 2006 | 11.2% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 10.2% | -8.7% |
| 2008 | 10.7% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 13.2% | +23.8% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 14.2% | +5.0% |
| 2012 | 15.0% | +5.8% |
| 2013 | 14.7% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 18.7% | +27.6% |
| 2015 | 18.1% | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 18.1% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 17.4% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 16.4% | -5.8% |
| 2019 | 17.0% | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 17.6% | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 18.4% | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 19.7% | +7.0% |
| 2023 | 20.8% | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 22.4% | +7.8% |
| 2025 | 23.3% | +4.2% |
| 2026 | 23.1% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.1% | 7.6% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.3% | 13.5% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.7% | 17.6% | 23.3% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Middle Africa
- 28 Argentina 40.9% compare
- 29 Belgium 40.7% compare
- 30 Dominica 40.6% compare
- 30 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 40.6% compare
- 30 United Kingdom 40.6% compare
- 33 Switzerland 39.7% compare
- 34 Burundi 39.6% compare
More gender data for Middle Africa
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 386 (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 41.7% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, pregnant 45.6% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, non-pregnant 41.2% (2023)
- Proportion of women in managerial positions - 13th ICLS 49.0% (2025)
- Ratio for female members of parliaments (Ratio of the proportion of) 0.5% (2026)
- Ratio for female members of parliaments (Ratio of the proportion of) 0.5% (2026)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Middle Africa?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Middle Africa was 23.1% 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 Middle Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 23.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Middle Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 2002.
- How does Middle Africa rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Middle Africa ranks 31st out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Middle Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle 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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