Share of women top officials in North Rhine-Westphalia
Share of women top officials in North Rhine-Westphalia stood at 32.5 percent in 2025, according to Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) – Digital Gender Equality Atlas. It is one of the indicators in the Women and men in politics and administration table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2008 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Women and men in politics and administration table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2019 | 2017 | 2015 | 2011 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Rhine-Westphalia | |||||||||||
| Women, share | 32.5 | 33.3 | 33.8 | 28.2 | 28.9 | 25.9 | 22.4 | 24.7 | 24.3 | 19.4 | |
| Men, share | 67.5 | 66.7 | 66.2 | 71.8 | 71.1 | 74.1 | 77.6 | 75.3 | 75.7 | 80.6 |
Understanding share of women top officials in North Rhine-Westphalia
Female representation within North Rhine-Westphalia's highest administrative tier is expressed as a percentage of all supreme state authority directorships. The indicator calculates the ratio of female leaders heading state ministries, the state chancellery, and independent supreme bodies relative to the total executive cohort. It leaves out intermediate territorial authorities, local municipal bodies, judicial benches, and the rank-and-file civil service. By normalizing the count of female leaders against total executive positions, this series eliminates distortions caused by institutional expansions or ministerial mergers, providing a standardized measure of gender balance.
Released on an annual schedule, the data reflects an institutional inventory captured at a single calendar reference point. Seasonality plays no role, but changes in executive appointments and cabinet configurations create discrete adjustments between consecutive years. Even in a large state administration, the total number of supreme authorities remains relatively limited, so a single personnel transition produces a visible percentage change. Analysts should examine this metric across multiple legislative cycles to identify sustained shifts, avoiding comparisons with overall public sector employment ratios where different promotional dynamics apply.
Frequently asked questions
- How is the female share of top officials in North Rhine-Westphalia calculated?
- It is calculated by dividing the number of female leaders in supreme state authorities by the total count of supreme authority leadership posts.
- Why does this percentage not match the female share in the state civil service?
- The wider civil service comprises diverse employment tiers, whereas this series is strictly confined to the apex directorships of supreme state authorities.
- Does a government reorganization automatically alter this female share?
- Yes, altering the total number of ministries or supreme agencies changes the calculation base, which affects the percentage even if female headcount remains unchanged.