Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America
South America: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 31.7% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
South America recorded 31.7% for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in 2026.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 39.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America peaked at 31.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 12.1%, in 2001.
South America ranks 12th of 42 groups 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 America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 12.5% | — |
| 2001 | 12.1% | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 13.5% | +11.9% |
| 2003 | 14.6% | +7.7% |
| 2004 | 14.9% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 15.8% | +5.8% |
| 2006 | 16.9% | +7.4% |
| 2007 | 17.7% | +4.4% |
| 2008 | 18.5% | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 18.7% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 19.2% | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 19.3% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 18.7% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 18.7% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 19.6% | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 22.2% | +13.3% |
| 2016 | 22.7% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 24.5% | +7.8% |
| 2018 | 24.8% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 26.1% | +5.3% |
| 2020 | 26.5% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 26.3% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 29.1% | +10.8% |
| 2023 | 31.0% | +6.3% |
| 2024 | 31.2% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 31.8% | +2.0% |
| 2026 | 31.7% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.5% | 12.1% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.6% | 18.7% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.7% | 26.3% | 31.8% | 7 |
Countries ranked near South America
- 9 Iceland 46.0% compare
- 10 Australia 46.0% compare
- 11 Cabo Verde 45.8% compare
- 11 Monaco 45.8% compare
- 13 Australia and New Zealand 45.8% compare
- 14 New Zealand 45.5% compare
- 15 Finland 45.5% compare
More gender data for South America
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 85,918 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.25 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 362,840 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 362,840 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.8634 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 36.64 (2027)
- SDG indicator 1.1.1: Working poverty rate 3.12 (2025)
- SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions 38.56 (2025)
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 667 (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 21.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South America was 31.7% 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 America?
- The highest recorded value was 31.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in South America?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.1% in 2001.
- How does South America rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- South America ranks 12th out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in South America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South America 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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