How does the percentage of women elected to America’s Government compare to other countries around the world? While women in American have been gaining influence lately, according to the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) report on October 31, 2007, the USA lags far behind many countries in terms of women’s representation in the lower or single House of their country’s legislature. IPU (Switzerland based) is the the international organization of Parliaments of Sovereign States, and was established in 1889.

Below is the country ranking showing the percentage of women in the Lower (or single) House of Government. The USA ranks 68 out of 189 countries surveyed with 16.3% positions in the House being filled by women. Rwanda, Cuba, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Pakistan and Venezuela are some of the countries that have higher women representation.

1 Rwanda 48.8% women representation
2 Sweden 47.3 
3 Finland 42.0 
4 Costa Rica 38.6 
5 Norway 37.9 
6 Denmark 36.9 
7 Netherlands 36.7 
8 Cuba 36.0 
” Spain 36.0 
9 Mozambique 34.8 
10 Belgium 34.7 
11 South Africa 32.8
12 Austria 32.2 
“  New Zealand 32.2 
13 Iceland 31.7 
14 Germany 31.6 
15 Burundi 30.5 
16 United Rep. of Tanzania 30.4 
17 Uganda 29.8 
18 Switzerland  29.5 
19 Peru  29.2                 
20 Belarus 29.1 
21 Guyana 29.0                 
22 Andorra 28.6                 
23 The F.Y.R. of Macedonia 28.3                 
24 Timor Leste 27.7                 
25 Afghanistan 27.3 
26 Namibia 26.9 
27 Grenada 26.7 
28 Viet Nam 25.8                 
29 Iraq  25.5                 
“  Suriname 25.5                 
30 Lao People’s Democratic Rep. 25.2                 
31 Ecuador 25.0                 
32 Lithuania 24.8                 
33 Australia 24.7 
34 Singapore 24.5                 
35 Liechtenstein 24.0                 
36 Lesotho 23.5 
“  Seychelles 23.5                 
37 Honduras 23.4                 
38 Luxembourg 23.3                 
39 Tunisia 22.8 
40 Mexico 22.6  
41 United Arab Emirates 22.5                 
42 Philippines 22.4 
43 Bulgaria 22.1                
44 Eritrea 22.0                 
“  Senegal 22.0 
45 Ethiopia 21.9 
46 Estonia 21.8                 
“  Republic of Moldova 21.8                 
47 Croatia 21.7                 
48 Pakistan 21.3 
“  Portugal 21.3                 
49 Canada 20.8 
“  Monaco 20.8                 
50 Poland 20.4 
“  Serbia 20.4                 
51 China 20.3                 
52 Dem. People’s Rep. of Korea  20.1                  
53 Dominican Republic 19.7.  
“  United Kingdom 19.7 
54 Trinidad and Tobago  19.4 
55 Guinea 19.3                 
“  Slovakia 19.3                 
56 Latvia 19.0                 
57 Venezuela 18.6                 
58 France 18.5
“  Nicaragua 18.5                 
59 Saint Vincent & the Grenadines 18.2                 
60 Sudan 18.1
61 Equatorial Guinea 18.0                 
62 Mauritania 17.9 
63 Tajikistan 17.5 
“  Uzbekistan  17.5 
64 Italy 17.3
“  Nepal 17.3                 
65 Mauritius 17.1                  
66 Bolivia  16.9  
67 El Salvador 16.7                 
“  Panama 16.7                 
“  Zimbabwe 16.7 
68 United States of America 16.3

Some of the notable countries falling below the USA (16.3% women representation) are: Greece, Chile, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Malawi, Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Romania, Russian Federation, Japan, Brazil, India, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia.