Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) … number in Southern Africa
Southern Africa: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) … number was 35.8% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Southern Africa, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
Southern Africa recorded 35.8% for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in 2026.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Southern Africa peaked at 37.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 22.5%, in 2000.
Southern Africa ranks 5th of 41 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) … number in Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 22.5% | — |
| 2001 | 22.7% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 22.7% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 23.0% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 23.8% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 24.6% | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 24.8% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 24.8% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 27.1% | +9.3% |
| 2009 | 27.4% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 33.4% | +21.8% |
| 2011 | 33.0% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 31.8% | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 32.2% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 33.2% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 33.4% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 33.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 33.4% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 33.7% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 34.0% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 35.5% | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 35.6% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 36.6% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 36.9% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 37.1% | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 35.4% | -4.8% |
| 2026 | 35.8% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.3% | 22.5% | 27.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.1% | 31.8% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.1% | 35.4% | 37.1% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Southern Africa
- 2 Cuba 57.2% compare
- 3 Nicaragua 55.0% compare
- 4 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 50.8% compare
- 5 Mexico 50.4% compare
- 6 Andorra 50.0% compare
- 6 United Arab Emirates 50.0% compare
- 8 Costa Rica 49.1% compare
More gender data for Southern Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 20,374 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.5706 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 57,758 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 57,758 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 43.89 (2027)
- SDG indicator 1.1.1: Working poverty rate 15.28 (2025)
- SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions 36.91 (2025)
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 274 (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 31.0% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Southern Africa?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Southern Africa was 35.8% 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 Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 37.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.5% in 2000.
- How does Southern Africa rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Southern Africa ranks 5th out of 41 groups with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Southern 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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