Federal members of Parliament and federal members of Cabinet across Canada

Released: 2024-03-08

Statistics Canada's Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (CGDIS) has released new findings on the gender representation of federally elected and appointed representatives. These data tables are part of the Gender Results Framework (GRF), first introduced by the Government of Canada in 2018 to track the progress of gender equality in Canada.

In recognition of International Women's Day, the CGDIS has also released an infographic titled "Gender representation among Canadian members of Parliament and Cabinet," which provides a brief overview of gender representation in Canada's House of Commons and Cabinet.

The Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation Statistics Hub features disaggregated data about gender

The GRF can be accessed through the CGDIS's Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation Statistics Hub.

The CGDIS's Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub also supports Statistics Canada's Disaggregated Data Action Plan by connecting users to portals that feature disaggregated data on populations with various sociodemographic characteristics.

Reporting on the gender representation of federally elected officials in government helps to promote equity in leadership and democratic participation across Canada. A balanced distribution of women and men throughout all levels of decision-making in Canada leads to better decisions and is essential to a fair and democratic society.

The Parliament of Canada is composed of the House of Commons and the Senate

The House of Commons is comprised of members of Parliament (MPs) who are elected to represent the population of their respective electoral districts, or constituencies, while the Senate is comprised of representatives appointed by the Governor General to represent Canada's regions, provinces and territories. This release includes data on MPs elected to the House of Commons and excludes data on senators.

In 2023, 3 in 10 federally elected officials were women

The proportion of women who are MPs has increased since 1997, when 79.4% of MPs were men and 20.6% were women. In 2023, 69.4% of MPs were men and 30.6% were women.

Members of Canada's Cabinet are appointed among elected members of Parliament

The Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoints elected MPs from the House of Commons to Cabinet to set priorities and policies at the federal level.

Chart 1 
Number of members of Parliament by gender, Canada, 1997 to 2023

Chart 2 
Proportion of members of Parliament by gender, Canada, 1997 to 2023

In 2023, women and men were equally represented in Cabinet

The proportion of women who are members of Cabinet has increased since 2002, when 75.7% of members were men and 24.3% were women. In 2023, men made up 51.3% of Cabinet, while women made up 48.7%.

Chart 3 
Number of members of Cabinet by gender, Canada, 2002 to 2023

Chart 4 
Proportion of members of Cabinet by gender, Canada, 2002 to 2023

The Gender Results Framework data tables can be used to track gender distribution and representation over time

For more information on the GRF and products disaggregated by gender, please visit the Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation Statistics Hub.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).