The highest position of executive power has been held by a woman in just 59 countries since 1960. Since this time, 77 women have held the most powerful positions of executive power in their respective countries. Since Sirimavo Bandaranaike was first elected Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1960, the number of women in power has grown slowly, with the fastest growth coming in the past 15 years. At the beginning of 2023, there were 15 countries led by women, with Italy and Honduras electing their first female presidents in 2022. Despite growing numbers of women leaders in recent years, there has never been more than 17 women in these positions of power in a single year, which is less than 10% of the number of men who have held these positions (as today, there are 193 UN member states).
Records
The women who have served the longest consecutive terms in these positions are Angela Merkel of Germany (16 years, 16 days), Dame Eugenia Charles of Dominica (14 years, 328 days), and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia (12 years, 6 days). The longest combined non-consecutive terms were held by Indira Gandhi of India (16 years, 15 days) and the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina (over 19 years in total). Just 14 countries have had more than one woman in the highest position of executive power, and most of these countries can be found either in the Indian sub-continent or in Europe. Of these 14, Finland, Moldova, New Zealand, and the UK are the only countries to have had three female leaders (but all are currently headed by men), although the unique federal system of Switzerland has had five women serve in eight annual-terms as President of the Swiss Confederation.
The first woman Prime Minister
The first democratically elected female Prime Minister was Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, who took over the leadership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party when her husband was assassinated in 1959. Bandaranaike successfully led her party to victory in three elections, in 1960, 1970 and 1994, however constitutional changes in the 1980s meant that her final term as Prime Minister was spent in a more ceremonial role, while the President now held the real executive power (although the President at this time was also a woman; Bandaranaike's daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga).
Number of countries where the de facto highest position of executive power was held by a woman from 1960 to 2023
Characteristic
Number of countries to have had a female leader in the calendar year
This data refers to all countries that are current (or defunct, i.e. Yugoslavia) United Nations member states. This list does not include non-member states, such as Taiwan (which currently has a female leader).
This data was compiled from various sources, mostly from The Council of Women World Leaders and Encyclopedia Britannica, but also the official website of the Austrian, Barbadian, and Nepalese governments, as well as news outlets such as the BBC, RNZ, and peoplepill.
This data deals with the de facto leaders of countries, and does not include women who have held the title of President or Prime Minister who served in either a ceremonial role, or as deputy to another leader. For example, while Ireland has had two female Presidents, this is not included as executive power lies with the Taoiseach (Prime Minister).
This data shows the number of countries with women in the highest position of executive power at any point in that year, not how many women held these roles simultaneously.
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Statista. (August 4, 2023). Number of countries where the de facto highest position of executive power was held by a woman from 1960 to 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1058345/countries-with-women-highest-position-executive-power-since-1960/
Statista. "Number of countries where the de facto highest position of executive power was held by a woman from 1960 to 2023." Chart. August 4, 2023. Statista. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1058345/countries-with-women-highest-position-executive-power-since-1960/
Statista. (2023). Number of countries where the de facto highest position of executive power was held by a woman from 1960 to 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1058345/countries-with-women-highest-position-executive-power-since-1960/
Statista. "Number of Countries Where The De Facto Highest Position of Executive Power Was Held by a Woman from 1960 to 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 4 Aug 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1058345/countries-with-women-highest-position-executive-power-since-1960/
Statista, Number of countries where the de facto highest position of executive power was held by a woman from 1960 to 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1058345/countries-with-women-highest-position-executive-power-since-1960/ (last visited July 22, 2024)
Number of countries where the de facto highest position of executive power was held by a woman from 1960 to 2023 [Graph], Statista, August 4, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1058345/countries-with-women-highest-position-executive-power-since-1960/
