Government and politics in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: official figures
Hendrik Wüst (CDU) heads the government of North Rhine-Westphalia as Minister-President; the Bundesrat lists the office as "Ministerpräsident des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen" (October 2026).
Which parties govern North Rhine-Westphalia?
North Rhine-Westphalia is governed by a coalition: the 13 members of its state government who sit in the Bundesrat as full or deputy members belong to the CDU (9), Greens (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) (4).
Source: Bundesrat · saved copyWhen is the next state election in North Rhine-Westphalia?
The next election to the North Rhine-Westphalia Landtag (state parliament) is set for 25 April 2027; the Landtag is elected for 5 years.
Source: Bundesrat · saved copyHow many women are in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament?
Women held 35.9% of the seats in the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament in 2026, 6th highest of 16 Länder; in 2004 the share was 29.8%.
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyWhat was the turnout in North Rhine-Westphalia at the 2025 federal election?
At the February 2025 Bundestag election, valid second votes cast in North Rhine-Westphalia equalled 81.7% of its registered voters, 7th highest of 16 Länder (Germany: 82.1%).
Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copyMore figures
- At the 2024 European Parliament election, valid votes in North Rhine-Westphalia equalled 63.0% of registered voters, compared with 64.2% across Germany. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren) · saved copy
How North Rhine-Westphalia compares with other states
Women as a share of state parliament members (2026)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 6 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Women as a share of state parliament members |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Saarland | 41.2% |
| 4 | Bremen | 38.9% |
| 5 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 37.2% |
| 6 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 35.9% |
| 7 | Berlin | 35.8% |
| 8 | Lower Saxony | 35.6% |
| 9 | Baden-Württemberg | 33.8% |
Valid second votes as a share of registered voters, Bundestag election 2025 (2025)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 7 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Valid second votes as a share of registered voters, Bundestag election 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Baden-Württemberg | 83.0% |
| 5 | Hesse | 82.5% |
| 6 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 82.3% |
| 7 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 81.7% |
| 8 | Saarland | 81.7% |
| 9 | Brandenburg | 81.0% |
| 10 | Saxony | 80.6% |
Valid votes as a share of registered voters, European election 2024 (2024)
North Rhine-Westphalia ranks 11 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Valid votes as a share of registered voters, European election 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 64.5% |
| 9 | Schleswig-Holstein | 64.0% |
| 10 | Lower Saxony | 63.8% |
| 11 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 63.0% |
| 12 | Hesse | 62.6% |
| 13 | Berlin | 61.9% |
| 14 | Thuringia | 61.4% |
More on North Rhine-Westphalia: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Germany
Sources
- Bundesrat: Landesparlamente: Termine der Landtagswahlen, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fbab94295619…)
- Bundesrat: Mitglieder des Bundesrates (alle Mitglieder), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cef44d224cf8…)
- Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (Arbeitskreis Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren): Nachhaltigkeitsindikatoren der Länder: Tabellenband mit kompletten Zeitreihen zu allen Indikatoren (October 2026 edition), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5f3f1b692389…)
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