EU Women Now Hold a Third of Government Seats—but Germany's Progress Stalls
Women now hold a third of government and parliamentary seats across the EU, according to 2025 figures. The share of female lawmakers has grown steadily over the past decade, though progress remains uneven between countries. Some nations have seen sharp increases, while others—like Germany—have moved in the opposite direction.
In 2025, women occupied 33.6 percent of seats in the EU's national parliaments, up 5.4 percentage points since 2015. Government roles also saw a rise, with women making up 31.9 percent of positions—a 4.2-point increase over the same period.
Finland led the rankings, with the highest proportion of women in government, followed by Sweden and France. Latvia and Malta recorded the steepest gains in female parliamentary representation. At the other end, Cyprus, Hungary, and Romania had the lowest shares of women lawmakers in the EU.
Germany stood out as the only country where female representation in parliament declined. Its Bundestag now has around 32.5 percent women, down from previous years. However, the country's government saw a significant shift, with female representation rising from roughly 31 percent in 2015 to nearly 50 percent by 2026. This change was driven by policies like the SPD's gender parity rules, the Greens' equal representation commitments, and the EU's 2015 directive on board diversity. Despite this progress, Germany still trails Nordic nations such as Sweden in achieving full gender balance.
The overall trend shows growing female participation in EU politics, with most countries reporting higher numbers in both parliaments and governments. Germany's mixed results highlight how progress can vary between different branches of power. The data reflects ongoing efforts to improve gender balance, though gaps remain across the bloc.
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