Women's share of state government in Bavaria
Women's share of state government in Bavaria stood at 22.2 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bavaria | |||||||||||
| Women, share | 22.2 | 22.2 | 27.8 | 27.8 | 33.3 | 33.3 | 27.8 | 27.8 | 27.8 | 27.8 | |
| Men, share | 77.8 | 77.8 | 72.2 | 72.2 | 66.7 | 66.7 | 72.2 | 72.2 | 72.2 | 72.2 |
Understanding women's share of state government in Bavaria
The balance of ministerial power in Bavaria is tracked here through the percentage of cabinet positions occupied by women. Calculated by dividing female cabinet ministers by the total count of state ministers including the head of government, this ratio reflects female representation across the state executive. It excludes civil servants, judicial officers, and parliamentary representatives without portfolios. Unlike the raw headcount of women, this relative indicator normalizes for variations in cabinet size, offering a standardized measure of gender distribution across the executive branch.
Derived each year from official appointment registers, this indicator provides a standardized ratio captured on a single reference day. The data exhibits no seasonal fluctuations, and retrospective revisions are virtually non-existent outside rare corrections to formal appointment dates. Given that Bavarian cabinets consist of a small number of ministers, this proportion is inherently sensitive to minor changes: the replacement of a single minister causes a noticeable percentage movement. Longitudinal comparisons should focus on complete legislative periods rather than annual steps, while keeping in mind that the female share can shift purely because the number of male ministers changes while female headcount remains constant.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does this percentage fluctuate sharply when only one minister changes?
- State cabinets comprise only a small group of ministers, meaning any individual appointment or departure alters the overall proportion significantly.
- Does this indicator include Bavarian representatives in federal bodies?
- No, it measures solely the internal gender composition of the Bavarian state government cabinet.
- How does this series complement the absolute count of female ministers in Bavaria?
- While the headcount shows the exact number of female officeholders, this series reveals what fraction of the total governing body they constitute.