Proportion of Seats Held By Women in National Parliaments in South Africa

South Africa: Proportion of Seats Held By Women in National Parliaments was 44.7 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
44.7
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
14th
of 190 countries
All-time high
46.75
in 2020
All-time low
25
in 1997
Years of data
28
1997–2024

Proportion of Seats Held By Women in National Parliaments in South Africa, 1997–2024

010203040501997201020241997: 251998: 28.81999: 302000: 29.82001: 29.82002: 29.82003: 29.82004: 32.82005: 32.82006: 32.82007: 332008: 332009: 44.52010: 44.52011: 42.22012: 42.22013: 42.22014: 41.52015: 422016: 422017: 41.82018: 42.72019: 46.32020: 46.82021: 46.62022: 46.52023: 45.92024: 44.7

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Analysis

In 2024, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Africa stood at 44.7.

That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and up 7.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Africa peaked at 46.75 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 25, in 1997.

That places South Africa 14th out of 190 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.

Proportion of Seats Held By Women in National Parliaments in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of Seats Held By Women in National Parliaments in South Africa, 1997 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1997 25
1998 28.75 +15.0%
1999 30 +4.3%
2000 29.82 -0.6%
2001 29.82 +0.0%
2002 29.82 +0.0%
2003 29.82 +0.0%
2004 32.78 +9.9%
2005 32.75 -0.1%
2006 32.75 +0.0%
2007 33 +0.8%
2008 33 +0.0%
2009 44.5 +34.8%
2010 44.5 +0.0%
2011 42.25 -5.1%
2012 42.25 +0.0%
2013 42.25 +0.0%
2014 41.5 -1.8%
2015 42 +1.2%
2016 42 +0.0%
2017 41.84 -0.4%
2018 42.75 +2.2%
2019 46.35 +8.4%
2020 46.75 +0.9%
2021 46.58 -0.4%
2022 46.5 -0.2%
2023 45.86 -1.4%
2024 44.7 -2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 27.92 25 30 3
2000s 32.81 29.82 44.5 10
2010s 42.77 41.5 46.35 10
2020s 46.08 44.7 46.75 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 11 Monaco 45.83 compare
  2. 12 New Zealand 45.53 compare
  3. 13 Denmark 45.25 compare
  4. 15 Norway 44.38 compare
  5. 16 Spain 44.29 compare
  6. 17 Ecuador 43.07 compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More gender data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Africa?
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments in South Africa was 44.7 in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund.
What is the highest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 46.75 in 2020.
What is the lowest proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 25 in 1997.
How does South Africa rank for proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments?
South Africa ranks 14th out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
Is proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Proportion of Seats Held By Women in National Parliaments. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of Seats Held By Women in National Parliaments in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-seats-held-by-women-in-national-parliaments/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of Seats Held By Women in National Parliaments
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
191 places, 5,023 data points, 1997–2024
Last refreshed

Data on the proportion of women in leadership positions.