Top European Countries with Highest Women Police Staff Share

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Top Countries Leading in Women Representation in Police Forces in 2025

High Female Representation in Baltic and Scandinavian Countries

Lithuania boasts the highest percentage of women among police officers, with nearly 39.3% of its police staff being female. This underscores a significant commitment to gender balance within law enforcement agencies.
Just behind, Latvia closely follows with 39.2%, demonstrating a similar dedication to integrating women into policing roles.
Estonia ranks third, with 35.6% women, highlighting the Nordic region’s progressive approach towards gender equality.
Scandinavian countries like Norway and the Netherlands also feature prominently, with 33.8% and 33.7% respectively, emphasizing their longstanding focus on inclusivity.

United Kingdom and Israel: Notable Gender Diversity

The United Kingdom maintains a healthy share of women police personnel at 31.0%, reflecting ongoing efforts to promote gender equity in law enforcement.
Israel reports 30.0% female officers, exemplifying diversification in a region with diverse security challenges.

Commonwealth and European Countries with Moderate Female Participation

Ireland has 28.0% women serving in police roles, advancing gender representation across various European nations.
Belgium comes in with 27.0%, showcasing steady progress in gender inclusion.
New Zealand and Australia register 26.1% and 26.0% respectively, indicating robust efforts in these nations to foster female participation in policing.

North American Representation

Canada has 25.0% women in its police force, positioning it among the more gender-diverse North American countries.
The United States stands at 12.5%, illustrating ongoing challenges and opportunities for increasing female representation within the nation’s law enforcement agencies.

Other Noteworthy Countries

Cyprus and Denmark each feature around 25.8% and 25.0% women, showcasing European countries’ strides toward gender diversity.
Countries like Croatia (20.4%), Switzerland (20.0%), and the Philippines (20.0%) are also notable for their efforts, albeit with room for growth.
France maintains an 19.0% female police workforce, gradually progressing towards better gender representation.

Countries with Lower Female Representation

Countries such as Poland (17.0%), Spain (17.0%), and Slovakia (15.5%) have relatively lower female representation, indicating areas where further initiatives could foster gender balance.
The United States, despite its large law enforcement community, lags behind some other nations with just 12.5%, emphasizing ongoing efforts needed for inclusion.

The Global Perspective

While the Nordic and Baltic nations lead the way, other parts of the world, including Japan, India, and Brazil, have significantly lower percentages, ranging from 10-14%. Japan and Portugal both sit at 10.0%, highlighting the global disparity in female police participation.

Summary

As of 2025, the data underscores a clear trend: nations with progressive gender policies tend to have higher female representation within police forces. This not only promotes diversity but also impacts community policing positively by enhancing trust and understanding across different demographic groups.

Source: UNECE (latest published 2022 data), National Police Statistics.