Only One-Third of Countries Have Ever Had a Woman Leader

This Women's History Month, a new Pew Research Center analysis offers a striking reality check on women in global leadership. Of the 193 UN member countries, only 63 have ever had a woman head of government — and just 13 do right now.

The milestone that started it all came in 1960, when Sirimavo Bandaranaike became prime minister of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) — a full six decades before many nations would follow. Progress has been real but uneven. The biggest leap came in 2010, when five countries elected women leaders for the first time in a single year. As recently as 2025, Japan, Namibia, and Suriname joined that list for the very first time.

Some nations, however, have made women's leadership the norm rather than the exception. Finland has had four female prime ministers or presidents, and Iceland has been headed by four different female leaders as well — making them the most consistent pioneers globally. Iceland's Kristrún Frostadóttir became the country's third woman prime minister in 2024. Meanwhile, 18 countries have had two female leaders, and nine countries have had three.

Today's roster includes some notable firsts: Japan's Sanae Takaichi is her country's first-ever female prime minister, and she is one of 10 women currently serving as their nation's first female head of government. Barbados' Mia Mottley — nearly eight years in office — is the longest-serving woman leader currently in power.

The data is a reminder that while some countries are leading the way, the majority of the world still hasn't crossed this threshold at all. Two-thirds of nations have never been led by a woman. That's not history — that's the present.