Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa
Western Africa: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 19.9% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2026, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa stood at 19.9%. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.1% on the previous year and up 42.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa peaked at 19.9% in 2026 and was at its lowest, 7.3%, in 2001.
That places Western Africa 35th out of 42 groups with data for 2026, putting it in the bottom quarter.
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 Western Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.2% | — |
| 2001 | 7.3% | -10.4% |
| 2002 | 7.8% | +7.1% |
| 2003 | 9.1% | +16.2% |
| 2004 | 9.8% | +7.7% |
| 2005 | 10.2% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 11.2% | +10.1% |
| 2007 | 11.4% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 12.6% | +10.1% |
| 2009 | 11.7% | -7.4% |
| 2010 | 11.6% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 11.7% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 11.8% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 13.6% | +14.9% |
| 2014 | 14.6% | +7.7% |
| 2015 | 14.4% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 13.9% | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 14.9% | +6.7% |
| 2018 | 14.8% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 14.8% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 14.8% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 15.9% | +7.0% |
| 2022 | 16.9% | +6.7% |
| 2023 | 18.5% | +9.0% |
| 2024 | 19.4% | +5.3% |
| 2025 | 19.1% | -1.5% |
| 2026 | 19.9% | +4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.9% | 7.3% | 12.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.6% | 11.6% | 14.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.8% | 14.8% | 19.9% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Western Africa
- 33 Switzerland 39.7% compare
- 34 Burundi 39.6% compare
- 35 Republic of Moldova 39.6% compare
- 35 Moldova 39.6% compare
- 37 Armenia 39.2% compare
- 38 Uzbekistan 39.2% compare
More gender data for Western Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 198,948 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.9192 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 320,269 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 320,269 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.85 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 26.63 (2027)
- SDG indicator 1.1.1: Working poverty rate 28.16 (2025)
- SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions 42.34 (2025)
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 454 (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 41.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Africa was 19.9% 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 Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 19.9% in 2026.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.3% in 2001.
- How does Western Africa rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Western Africa ranks 35th out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western 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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