Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 27.1% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2026, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 27.1%.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 16.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 27.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2000.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 20th 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.5% | — |
| 2001 | 11.7% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 12.3% | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 13.3% | +8.1% |
| 2004 | 13.9% | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 14.4% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 16.3% | +13.0% |
| 2007 | 16.5% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 17.3% | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 18.1% | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 18.4% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 19.2% | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 19.8% | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 20.8% | +5.2% |
| 2014 | 22.8% | +9.5% |
| 2015 | 22.6% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 23.3% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 23.7% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 23.6% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 23.9% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 24.3% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 24.9% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 25.9% | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 26.5% | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 27.1% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 27.0% | -0.6% |
| 2026 | 27.1% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.5% | 11.5% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.8% | 18.4% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.1% | 24.3% | 27.1% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More gender data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 552,879 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.42 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 875,918 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 875,918 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.84 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 29.77 (2027)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), per capita 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), per capita 0.0006 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female 247.09 million (2025)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.187 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Sub-Saharan Africa was 27.1% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 27.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2000.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 20th out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan 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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