Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Asia
Western Asia: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 17.6% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Asia, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Asia is 17.6%, measured in 2026.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and up 33.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Asia peaked at 18.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2000.
Western Asia ranks 38th of 42 groups on this measure, 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 Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.2% | — |
| 2001 | 5.4% | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 5.6% | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 5.6% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 5.5% | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 5.7% | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 7.8% | +36.4% |
| 2007 | 8.1% | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 9.2% | +13.7% |
| 2009 | 9.1% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 9.3% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 10.1% | +8.2% |
| 2012 | 11.1% | +10.8% |
| 2013 | 12.7% | +14.0% |
| 2014 | 12.8% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 12.8% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 13.2% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 13.8% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 14.2% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 15.3% | +7.6% |
| 2020 | 15.6% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 15.7% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 16.6% | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 16.6% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 17.1% | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 18.0% | +5.3% |
| 2026 | 17.6% | -2.2% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Asia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +36.4% | 5.7% | 7.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.7% | 5.2% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.5% | 9.3% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.7% | 15.6% | 18.0% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Western Asia
- 35 Republic of Moldova 39.6% compare
- 35 Moldova 39.6% compare
- 37 Armenia 39.2% compare
- 38 Uzbekistan 39.2% compare
- 39 North Macedonia 39.2% compare
- 40 Mozambique 38.0% compare
- 41 Slovenia 37.8% compare
More gender data for Western Asia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 22,630 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.92 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 95,303 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 95,303 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.9363 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 43.29 (2027)
- SDG indicator 1.1.1: Working poverty rate 0.135 (2025)
- SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions 22.99 (2025)
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 428 (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 28.7% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Asia?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Asia was 17.6% 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 Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 18.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Western Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2000.
- How does Western Asia rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Western Asia ranks 38th out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Western Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Asia 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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