Women in ministerial positions — all countries

Women in ministerial positions — World

Women in ministerial positions in the world in 2025 — 22.4%. Since 2005, the indicator has risen by 8.2 pp.

2025 22.4% −0.5 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 23.3%2023
Period minimum 14.2%2005

Trend over time

2005–2025 · % of ministers

Women in ministerial positions — World, 2005–202512.51517.52022.525200520072009201120132015201720192021202320252005: 14.2%2008: 16.1%2010: 16.2%2012: 16.7%2014: 17.3%2015: 17.7%2016: 18.4%2018: 21%2019: 21.3%2020: 22%2022: 22.8%2023: 23.3%2024: 22.9%2025: 22.4%
Change over the period: +8.2 pp Annual average: 0.41 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: World

World 22.4%
World 22.4%
Women in ministerial positions — World, by year World All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 22.4 −0.5 pp
2024 22.9 −0.4 pp
2023 23.3 +0.4 pp
2022 22.8
2020 22 +0.7 pp
2019 21.3 +0.2 pp
2018 21
2016 18.4 +0.7 pp
2015 17.7 +0.5 pp
2014 17.3
2012 16.7
2010 16.2
2008 16.1
2005 14.2

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.