Source: Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics
Published: February 2020

Women in US state legislatures

State legislatures are the elected legislative bodies that make, change, and repeal laws in each of the 50 states. In 2020, 29.3% of the 7,383 United States state legislators were women. Although the gender distribution is still not even, the total number of women in legislative seats has more than quintupled since 1971, when only 4.5% of the year’s legislators were women.

Nevada held the highest percentage of women serving in state legislatures in 2020, at 54%. West Virginia had the starkest imbalance, with women comprising only 13.4% of its legislative body. 

Women in US State Legislatures, 1971-2020 (Year and Percentage)

1971: 4.5%
1981: 12.1%
1991: 18.3%
2001: 22.4%
2011: 23.7%
2020: 29.3%

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