Share of women in parliament in Japan
Japan: Share of women in parliament was 15.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of women in parliament in Japan, 1997–2025
Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) monthly ranking of women in national parliaments, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Japan recorded 15.7% for share of women in parliament in 2025. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.
That represents a change of up 65.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women in parliament in Japan peaked at 15.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 1997.
That places Japan 146th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Share of women in parliament in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 4.6% | — |
| 1998 | 4.6% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 4.6% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 7.3% | +58.5% |
| 2001 | 7.3% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 7.3% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 7.1% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 7.1% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 9.0% | +26.5% |
| 2006 | 9.4% | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 9.4% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 9.4% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 11.2% | +20.0% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 10.8% | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | -26.9% |
| 2013 | 8.1% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 8.1% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 9.5% | +16.6% |
| 2016 | 9.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 10.1% | +6.7% |
| 2018 | 10.1% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 10.1% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 9.9% | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 9.7% | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 9.9% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 10.3% | +4.3% |
| 2024 | 15.7% | +51.8% |
| 2025 | 15.7% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 3 |
| 2000s | 8.4% | 7.1% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 7.9% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.9% | 9.7% | 15.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More gender data for Japan
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 12,429 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.96 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 367,041 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 384,885 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 368,886 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 386,553 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 378,555 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 396,805 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 393,277 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 412,389 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women in parliament in Japan?
- Share of women in parliament in Japan was 15.7% in 2025, according to Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) monthly ranking of women in national parliaments, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women in parliament recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 15.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women in parliament recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 1997.
- How does Japan rank for share of women in parliament?
- Japan ranks 146th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of women in parliament rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 65.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) monthly ranking of women in national parliaments, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women in parliament. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of seats in lower or single chamber of the legislature held by women.