Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe
Western Europe: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments was 36.2% in 2026. ▲ Rising
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe, 2000–2026
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Western Europe recorded 36.2% for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in 2026.
That represents a change of down 1.2% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe peaked at 38.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 23.0%, in 2000.
That places Western Europe 5th out of 42 groups with data for 2026, putting it 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 in Western Europe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 23.0% | — |
| 2001 | 23.1% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 23.4% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 24.4% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 25.5% | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 25.8% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 25.7% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 25.5% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 27.9% | +9.4% |
| 2009 | 27.8% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 28.4% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 28.4% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 28.4% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 30.5% | +7.4% |
| 2014 | 32.5% | +6.4% |
| 2015 | 32.0% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 32.1% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 32.1% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 34.0% | +5.9% |
| 2019 | 34.2% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 35.8% | +4.6% |
| 2021 | 36.1% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 38.2% | +5.8% |
| 2023 | 37.8% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 37.4% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 36.7% | -1.9% |
| 2026 | 36.2% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.2% | 23.0% | 27.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.3% | 28.4% | 34.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.9% | 35.8% | 38.2% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Western Europe
- 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 Western Europe
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 28,938 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.8714 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 172,392 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 172,392 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.1284 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 41.37 (2027)
- SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions 34.05 (2025)
- Women of reproductive age 106.67 million (2023)
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 723 (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 14.2% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe?
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in Western Europe was 36.2% 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 Europe?
- The highest recorded value was 38.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in Western Europe?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.0% in 2000.
- How does Western Europe rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
- Western Europe ranks 5th out of 42 groups with data for 2026.
- Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in Western Europe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Europe 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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