The line graph compares the proportion of female members of parliament in five European countries – Germany, Spain, Belgium, the UK and Italy – between 2000 and 2012.
Overall, all countries experienced an increase in the share of females in parliament, with Germany standing out as the sole exception, having recorded a relatively stable pattern. Of particular note, Italy showed a sharp rise, whereas a margin upward trend was observed in the other remaining three countries.
Focusing first on the number of females in the Italian parliament, the figure accounted for the most noticeable increase across all given countries, despite its lowest percentage at the beginning. Starting at just about 2% in 2000, the figure rose dramatically to 22%, after which it remained stable by the end of the period. Similarly, the United Kingdom also exhibited an upward pattern, with the figure rising from 17% in 2000 to 22% in 2012.
Turning to other remaining countries, Germany maintained a relatively constant proportion of female parliamentarians at about 30% throughout the timeframe. Meanwhile, Spain and Belgium demonstrated a near-identical pattern, with the percentages rising considerably from approximately 25% to 35% over the first eight years.