Facts and figures: Women’s leadership and political participation

[1] UN Women calculation based on information provided by Permanent Missions to the United Nations. Countries with monarchy-based systems are excluded from the count of Heads of State.

[2] UN Women calculations.

[3] UN Women calculation based on information provided by Permanent Missions to the United Nations. Six leaders hold positions of both head of state and head of government. Countries with monarchy-based systems are excluded from the count of Heads of State.

[4] Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women, Women in politics: 2025.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Inter-Parliamentary Union. Women in national parliaments, as of 1 January 2025.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] UN Women calculations.

[12] Inter-Parliamentary Union. Women in national parliaments, as of 1 January 2025.

[13] UN Women, Women in Local Government. Data as of 1 January 2024.

[14] Ibid.

[15] United Nations (1995). Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Critical Area G, “Women, power and decision-making”.

[16] United Nations, Economic and Social Council (2021). Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls: Report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.6/2021/3).

[17] R. Chattopadhyay and E. Duflo (2004). “Women as policy makers: Evidence from a randomized policy experiment in India,” Econometrica 72(5), pp. 1409–1443; K. A. Bratton and L. P. Ray. 2002. “Descriptive representation: Policy outcomes and municipal day-care coverage in Norway,” American Journal of Political Science, 46(2), pp. 428–437.

[18] Inter-Parliamentary Union (2008). Equality in politics: A survey of men and women in parliaments.

[Page updated 11 March 2025.]