Women in parliament reached 31.6% in 2021

The share of women in the national lower or single houses of parliament (or equivalent) in OECD countries stood at 31.6% at the end of 2021. While it has increased from 20.1% in 2002, it falls short of equal representation in national legislatures.

How this figure has evolved over time also differs markedly by country. In Japan, the share of women parliamentarians has remained low, rising only slightly between 2002 and 2021 from 7.3% to 9.9%; in Sweden, it has remained high, but also rising slightly from 45.0% to 47.0%; Mexico, on the other hand, has seen sharp increase, from 16.0% to 48.2%. 

Women in government follows a similar (but not identical) pattern. In Sweden, 52.4% of government ministers in 2005 were women, compared to 57.1% in 2021; in France, they were 17.6% and 50.0%, respectively. Across the OECD as a whole, it now stands at 34.0%.

See more: OECD Gender Data Portal