Statistics on Women in National Governments Around the World

Women and girls make up half of the world’s population. However, in most countries, women are underrepresented in the political process at the national level. As this report shows, on April 1, 2026, women held 27.4% of legislative seats around the world, an increase from 16.6% of legislative seats in April 31, 2006 (see Figure 1). As of April 1, 2026, women held 50% or more of the legislative seats in eight countries: Rwanda, Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Mexico, Andorra, and the United Arab Emirates (see Table 3). At the executive level, 37 women in 33 countries were elected or selected by elected bodies to serve as heads of state and/or heads of government as of May 1, 2026 (see Table 6). This report provides an overview of women’s roles in national governments and looks at suffrage, representation at the legislative and executive levels, gender quotas, and violence against women in elections.