World marks 100 years since women were given the right to vote: how countries stack up

This year, 6 February marks 100 years since British women (well, the wealthy ones over 30) were given the right to vote and British parliament finally opened its doors to female politicians.

Now the United Kingdom has more female MPs than ever before, but when compared to the rest of the world Britain ranks 37th.

Countries with the most female members of politicians (Rank, Country, Percentage of female MPs, Number of seats)

1. Rwanda (Country) 61.3% (Percentage of female MPs) 49/80 (Number of seats)
2. Bolivia 53.1% 69/130
3. Cuba 48.9% 299/612
4. Iceland 47.6% 30/63
5. Nicaragua 45.7% 42/92

6. Sweden 43.6% 152/349
7. Senegal 42.7% 64/150
8. Mexico 42.6% 213/500
9. Finland 42.0% 84/200
9. South Africa 42.0% 167/398

11. Ecuador 41.6% 57/137
12. Namibia 41.3% 43/104
13. Mozambique 39.6% 99/250
13. Norway 39.6% 67/169
15. Spain 39.1% 137/350

16. Argentina 38.9% 100/257
17. Ethiopia 38.8% 212/547
18. Timor-Leste 38.5% 25/65
19. Angola 38.2% 84/220
20. Belgium 38.0% 57/150

20. Netherlands 38.0% 57/150
22. Denmark 37.4% 67/179
23. Germany 37.0% 233/630

24. Slovenia 36.7% 33/90
25. Burundi 36.4% 44/121

25. United Republic of Tanzania 36.4% 143/393
27. Costa Rica 35.1% 20/57
28. Portugal 34.8% 80/230
29. Belarus 34.5% 38/110
30. Serbia 34.4% 86/250

31. Uganda 34.3% 154/449
32. New Zealand 34.2% 41/120
33. Grenada 33.3% 5/15
34. Zimbabwe 32.6% 88/270
35. Switzerland 32.5% 65/200

36. Andorra 32.1% 9/28
36. El Salvador 32.1% 27/84
37. The United Kingdom 32.0% 208/650
38. Guyana 31.9% 22/69
39. The F.Y.R. of Macedonia 31.7% 38/120
40. Algeria 31.6% 146/462

41. Tunisia 31.3% 68/217
42. Cameroon 31.1% 56/180
43. Italy 31.0% 195/630
43. Trinidad and Tobago 31.0% 13/42
45. Austria 30.6% 56/183

46. Sudan 30.5% 130/426
47. Nepal 29.6% 176/595
48. Philippines 29.5% 86/292
59. Australia 28.7% 43/150
50. South Sudan 28.5% 109/383

51. Luxembourg 28.3% 17/60
52. Poland 28.0% 129/460
53. Afghanistan 27.7% 69/249
53. Peru 27.7% 36/130
55. Israel l 27.5% 33/120

55. Lao People’s Dem. Republic 27.5% 41/149
57. Kazakhstan 27.1% 29/107
58. The Dominican Republic 26.8% 51/190
59. Estonia 26.7% 27/101
59. Vietnam 26.7% 132/494

61. Canada 26.3% 88/335
62. France 25.8% 149/577
62. Honduras 25.8% 33/128
62. Turkmenistan 25.8% 32/124
65. Suriname 25.5% 13/51

66. Iraq 25.3% 83/328
67. Mauritania 25.2% 37/147
68. Dominica 25.0% 8/32
68. Lesotho 25.0% 30/120
70. Somalia 24.2% 64/264

71. Equatorial Guinea 24.0% 24/100
72. Singapore 23.8% 24/101
73. China 23.7% 0699/2949
74. Cabo Verde 23.6% 17/72
75. Montenegro 23.5% 19/81

76. San Marino 23.3% 14/60
77. Albania 22.9% 32/140
78. Republic of Moldova 22.8% 23/101
79. Ireland 22.2% 35/158
79. Venezuela (Bolivarian Rep. of) 22.2% 37/167

81. Eritrea 22.0% 33/150
82. Guinea 21.9% 25/114
83. Bosnia and Herzegovina 21.4% 9/42
84. Lithuania 21.3% 30/141
85. Seychelles 21.2% 7/33

86. Monaco 20.8% 5/24
87. Romania 20.7% 68/329
88. Pakistan (Islamic Republic of) 20.6% 70/340
89. Morocco 20.5% 81/395
90. Bangladesh 20.3% 71/350

90. Cambodia 20.3% 25/123
92. Uruguay 20.2% 20/99
93. Czechia 20.0% 40/200
93. Slovakia 20.0% 30/150
93. United Arab Emirates 20.0% 8/40

96. Croatia 19.9% 30/151
96. Saudi Arabia 19.9% 30/151
98. Indonesia 19.8% 111/560
99. Kenya 19.4% 68/350
100. Bulgaria 19.2% 46/240

100. Kyrgyzstan 19.2% 23/120
100. Madagascar 19.2% 29/151
103. United States 19.1% 83/435
104. Tajikistan 19.0% 12/63
105. Colombia 18.7% 31/166

106. Greece 18.3% 55/300
106. Panama 18.3% 13/71
108. Sao Tome and Principe 18.2% 10/55
109. Zambia 18.0% 30/167
110. Cyprus 17.9% 10/56

111. Togo 17.6% 16/91
112. Jamaica 17.5% 11/63
113. Gabon 17.1% 20/117
113. Mongolia 17.1% 13/76
115. Niger 17.0% 29/171

115. Republic of Korea 17.0% 51/300
117. Azerbaijan 16.8% 21/125
118. Barbados 16.7% 5/30
118. Malawi 16.7% 32/192
118. Saint Lucia 16.7% 3/18

121. Dem. People’s Rep. of Korea 16.3% 112/687
122. Fiji 16.0% 8/50
122. Georgia 16.0% 24/150
122. Latvia 16.0% 16/100
122. Libya 16.0% 30/188
122. Uzbekistan 16.0% 24/150
127. Chile 15.8% 19/120

127. Russian Federation 15.8% 71/450
129. Jordan 15.4% 20/130
130. Egyp t 14.9% 89/596

130. Turkey 14.9% 82/550
132. Paraguay 13.8% 11/80
133. Guinea-Bissau 13.7% 14/102
134. Saint Kitts and Nevis 13.3% 2/15
135. Bahamas 13.2% 5/38

135. Syrian Arab Republic 13.2% 33/250
137. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13.0% 3/23
138. Chad 12.8% 24/188
139. Ghana 12.7% 35/275
139. Guatemala 12.7% 20/158

141. Malta 12.5% 7/72
141. Palau 12.5% 2/16
143. Sierra Leone 12.4% 15/121
144. Liberia 12.3% 9/73
144. Ukraine 12.3% 52/423
146. Liechtenstein 12.0% 3/25
147. India 11.8% 64/542
148. Mauritius 11.6% 8/69
149. Côte d’Ivoire 11.5% 29/253
150. Antigua and Barbuda 11.1% 2/18

151. Burkina Faso 11.0% 14/127
152. Djibouti 10.8% 7/65
153. Braz il 10.7% 55/513
154. Nauru 10.5% 2/19
155. Malaysia 10.4% 23/222
156. Myanmar 10.2% 44/433
157. Hungary 10.1% 20/199
158. Samoa 10.0% 5/50
159. Armenia 9.9% 13/131
160. Botswana 9.5% 6/63

161. Gambia 9.4% 5/53
162. Japan 9.3% 44/475
163. Brunei Darussalam 9.1% 3/33
163. Marshall Islands 9.1% 3/33
165. Dem. Republic of the Congo 8.9% 44/492
166. Mali 8.8% 13/147
167. Central African Republic 8.6% 12/140
168. Bhutan 8.5% 4/47
169. Bahrain 7.5% 3/40
170. Congo 7.4% 10/136

171. Benin 7.2% 6/83
172. Tuvalu 6.7% 1/15
173. Kiribati 6.5% 3/46
174. Swaziland 6.2% 4/65
175. Comoros 6.1% 2/33
176. Iran (Islamic Republic of) 5.9% 17/289
176. Maldives 5.9% 5/85
178. Sri Lanka 5.8% 13/225
179. Nigeria 5.6% 20/360
180. Thailand 4.9% 12/247

181. Tonga 3.8% 1/26
182. Belize 3.1% 1/32
182. Kuwait 3.1% 2/65
182. Lebanon 3.1% 4/128
185. Papua New Guinea 2.7% 3/111

186. Haiti 2.6% 3/117
187. Solomon Islands 2.0% 1/50
188. Oman 1.2% 1/85
189. Micronesia ( Federated States of) 0.0% 0/14
189. Qatar 0.0% 0/35
189. Vanuatu 0.0% 0/52
189. Yemen 0.0% 0/275

Here’s a timeline of when counties allowed women to vote:

1893: New Zealand
1902: Australia
1906: Finland
1913: Norway
1915: Denmark
1917: Canada
1918: Austria, Germany, Poland, Russia
1919: Netherlands
1920: United States
1921: Sweden
1928: Britain, Ireland
1931: Spain
1934: Turkey
1944: France
1945: Italy
1947: Argentina, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan
1949: China
1950: India
1954: Colombia
1957: Malaysia, Zimbabwe
1962: Algeria
1963: Iran, Morocco
1964: Libya
1967: Ecuador
1971: Switzerland
1972: Bangladesh
1974: Jordan
1976: Portugal
1988: Namibia
1990: Western Samoa
1993: Kazakhstan, Moldova
1994: South Africa
2005: Kuwait
2006: United Arab Emirates
2011: Saudi Arabia

Few Facts:

Ecuador the most transgender-friendly (at voting booths) nation: In Ecuador, men and women vote separately. It decided last year to allow transgender people to choose the male or female line, according to the gender with which they identify.

Vatican City: only place women can’t vote and the only election held in Vatican City is when cardinals vote for a new pope.

Pakistan (the Islamic Republic of): Female participation in Pakistani elections is among the lowest in the world. Data from Pakistan’s 2013 elections showed that turnout for women voters was less than 10% in nearly 800 polling stations. In some areas, female voter turnout was as low as 3%.

New Zealand was the first country to grant women the right to vote, while Saudi Arabia waited until 2011 to allow it.