2026-03-28 · percent of parliamentary seats
Sub-Saharan Africa has mixed but rising representation
Rwanda and others pull regional averages up.
When parliaments don't reflect women, the laws that shape everyone's lives get written without them. Sub-Saharan Africa averages 24% women in parliamentary seats in 2026 — a share pulled up by standouts like Rwanda, yet still far from parity. The region outpaces the Americas (15.2%) but trails Asia & Pacific (39.5%): progress is real, parity is not.
1 cell = 0.1 percent of parliamentary seats (0.1% of global parliamentary seats) · 1,000 cells
Context
The figures come from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), compiled by Our World in Data, which tracks women's share of seats in national parliaments. As Our World in Data notes, women can now vote and stand for office almost everywhere, yet they remain underrepresented — especially in the highest offices.
Sub-Saharan Africa's 24% average tops the continent-wide Africa figure of 21.3%, a gap that shows how standout countries such as Rwanda lift the regional number. The Americas, excluding this edition's spotlight, average just 15.2%, while Asia & Pacific leads the comparison at 39.5%.
No region shown here reaches parity, and the gaps matter beyond symbolism: parliaments write the laws on inheritance, workplace harassment, and domestic violence that sit at the core of women's rights. 'Mixed but rising' captures a region with momentum still short of equal voice.
Share of parliamentary seats held by women (IPU via OWID).
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Credit this grid as Inagrid — https://inagrid.com/e/2026-03-28-pol-women-mp-sub-saharan