Share of women in ministerial positions in Japan

Japan: Share of women in ministerial positions was 10.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
10.0%
Change on year
down 60.0%
World rank
157th
of 192 countries
All-time high
25.0%
in 2023
All-time low
5.3%
in 2018
Years of data
13
2005–2024

Share of women in ministerial positions in Japan, 2005–2024

5101520252005201420242005: 12.5 %2008: 11.8 %2010: 11.8 %2012: 11.8 %2014: 11.1 %2015: 22.2 %2016: 15.8 %2018: 5.3 %2019: 15.8 %2020: 10 %2022: 8.3 %2023: 25 %2024: 10 %

Source: IPU via World Bank; UN Women via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of women in ministerial positions in Japan is 10.0%, measured in 2024.

The figure is down 60.0% on the previous year and down 9.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of women in ministerial positions in Japan peaked at 25.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2018.

Japan ranks 157th of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.

Share of women in ministerial positions in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Share of women in ministerial positions in Japan, 2005 to 2024.
Year % Change
2005 12.5%
2008 11.8% -5.6%
2010 11.8% +0.0%
2012 11.8% +0.0%
2014 11.1% -5.9%
2015 22.2% +100.0%
2016 15.8% -28.8%
2018 5.3% -66.5%
2019 15.8% +197.9%
2020 10.0% -36.7%
2022 8.3% -16.7%
2023 25.0% +200.0%
2024 10.0% -60.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 12.2% 11.8% 12.5% 2
2010s 13.4% 5.3% 22.2% 7
2020s 13.3% 8.3% 25.0% 4

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 155 Fiji 10.5% compare
  2. 155 Peru 10.5% compare
  3. 157 Brunei Darussalam 10.0% compare
  4. 157 Iran, Islamic Republic of 10.0% compare
  5. 157 San Marino 10.0% compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More gender data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of women in ministerial positions in Japan?
Share of women in ministerial positions in Japan was 10.0% in 2024, according to IPU via World Bank; UN Women via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of women in ministerial positions recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 25.0% in 2023.
What is the lowest share of women in ministerial positions recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2018.
How does Japan rank for share of women in ministerial positions?
Japan ranks 157th out of 192 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of women in ministerial positions rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from IPU via World Bank; UN Women via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women in ministerial positions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of women in ministerial positions in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on IPU via World Bank; UN Women via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-women-in-ministerial-positions/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of women in ministerial positions
Unit
%
Source
IPU via World Bank; UN Women via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
192 places, 2,435 data points, 2005–2024
Last refreshed

Deputy prime ministers and prime ministers or heads of government that hold ministerial portfolios are included, vice-presidents and heads of governmental or public agencies are excluded.