The report is based on data from 49 countries where elections were held for 62 parliamentary chambers in 2025.
Kyrgyzstan, it turns out, demonstrated the largest increase in women's representation in 2025, raising their share in parliament by 12.9%. In second place are Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with a growth of 12.3%, and in third place is the upper house of the parliament of Saint Lucia with an increase of 9.1%.
Despite the slow overall progress, some countries have reached record levels. In Australia, following the 2025 elections, women held 46% of seats in parliament, the highest figure in history. In the Czech Republic, the share of women in the lower house rose from 25% to one-third. In Ecuador, women occupied a record 45% of seats in the National Assembly.
The year 2025 was also significant for Japan: for the first time, a woman held the position of Prime Minister. After the elections in July, the share of women in the upper house of parliament reached a record 29.4%.
However, there is a decline in the number of women in the positions of parliamentary speakers worldwide: their share fell from 23.7% to 19.9% (54 speakers). Of the 75 new speakers elected or appointed in 2025, only 12 are women.
The highest level of women's representation is observed in the Americas: at the beginning of 2026, they hold 35.6% of seats in the region's parliaments.
This region is home to four of the seven countries where gender parity or a higher share of women than men has been achieved: Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Mexico. In other regions, such figures are observed in Rwanda, Andorra, and the United Arab Emirates.
The lowest representation of women remains in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, where their share is only 16.2% of parliamentary seats.
In Oman, Tuvalu, and Yemen, women are not represented in the lower houses of parliaments or unicameral structures. The report also highlights that violence and pressure on women politicians remain serious issues. According to an IPU study, 76% of women parliamentarians in the Asia-Pacific region have faced psychological violence. Women deputies are more likely to become victims of threats and intimidation both online and in real life, reported by 76% of surveyed women and 68% of men.
Experts warn that such threats can deter women from participating in politics and slow down the process of achieving gender equality in representative bodies.
- The Inter-Parliamentary Union, founded in 1889, is an international organization that brings together 183 national parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary organizations. The IPU actively works to promote democracy and protect the rights of parliamentarians worldwide.
