Women in ministerial positions — all countries

Women in ministerial positions — Upper-middle-income countries

Women in ministerial positions in upper-middle-income countries in 2025 — 21.1%. Since 2005, the indicator has risen by 7.1 pp.

2025 21.1% +0.8 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 21.4%2020
Period minimum 12.3%2010

Trend over time

2005–2025 · % of ministers

Women in ministerial positions — Upper-middle-income countries, 2005–20251012.51517.52022.5200520072009201120132015201720192021202320252005: 14.1%2008: 14.8%2010: 12.3%2012: 13.7%2014: 16.1%2015: 16.7%2016: 17.6%2018: 20.8%2019: 20.7%2020: 21.4%2022: 20.1%2023: 20.9%2024: 20.3%2025: 21.1%
Change over the period: +7.1 pp Annual average: 0.35 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Upper-middle-income countries

Upper-middle-income countries 21.1%
World 22.4%
Women in ministerial positions — Upper-middle-income countries, by year Upper-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 21.1 +0.8 pp
2024 20.3 −0.6 pp
2023 20.9 +0.7 pp
2022 20.1
2020 21.4 +0.8 pp
2019 20.7 −0.1 pp
2018 20.8
2016 17.6 +0.9 pp
2015 16.7 +0.6 pp
2014 16.1
2012 13.7
2010 12.3
2008 14.8
2005 14.1

About the indicator

The share of women among the ministers of a government. The indicator complements the share of women in parliament and often diverges from it: parliamentary representation in many countries is backed by quotas, while the composition of a government is formed by the decision of one person or party, so it reacts faster and shifts more sharply — from zero to full parity within a single round of appointments.

Important: The aggregate for a country group is a simple average across countries rather than a weighted one: the correct weight would be the number of ministers, and the source does not publish it. A simple average answers the question of how widespread the practice is, not of how many women ministers there are in the world.

Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.