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Which Countries Feature Women on Banknotes?

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notable women on banknotes

Visualizing the Women on Banknotes Worldwide

A study by Swedish loan company Advisa analyzed 1,006 current international banknotes and found that only 15% featured images of women.

Who are these women, and which countries feature them on their bills?

This graphic by Ivett Kovács and Gabrielle Merite visualizes women on banknotes around the world, showing their main occupations, and the value of the banknotes they’re featured on.

The List: Women on Bills

To create this graphic, Ivett used data from the Standard Catalogue of World Paper Money, compiled by Vox.

According to the dataset, Queen Elizabeth II is the most featured woman worldwide.

CountryDenomination(s)WomanDescription
🇦🇱 Albania100 lekëQueen TeutaQueen of Illyria
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇦🇷 Argentina100 pesosEva PerónFirst Lady of Argentina
🇦🇺 Australia$50Edith CowanSuffragette
🇦🇺 Australia$10Mary GilmorePoet, journalist
🇦🇺 Australia$100Nellie MelbaOpera singer
🇦🇺 Australia$5Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇧🇸 Bahamas$10, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇧🇿 Belize$2, $10, $20, $50Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇨🇦 Canada$20Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇨🇻 Cape Verde2000 escudosCesária ÉvoraSinger
🇰🇾 Cayman Islands$1, $5, $10, $25, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇨🇱 Chile5000 pesosGabriela MistralNobel Prize winner
🇨🇴 Colombia10000 pesosPolicarpa SalavarrietaSeamstress, spy
🇨🇷 Costa Rica20000 colonesCarmen LyraWriter
🇨🇿 Czech Republic50 korunaAgnes of BohemiaBohemian princess
🇨🇿 Czech Republic500 korunaBožena NěmcováWriter
🇨🇿 Czech Republic2000 korunaEmmy DestinnOpera singer
🇩🇲 Dominica$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic200 pesosMirabal sistersSisters who opposed dictatorship
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic500 pesosSalomé UreñaPoet and pedagogist
🇫🇰 Falkland Islands5, 10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇬🇪 Georgia50 lariQueen TamarThe Queen Regnant of Georgia
🇬🇮 Gibraltar5, 10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇬🇩 Grenada$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇬🇬 Guernsey5, 10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇭🇹 Haiti10 gourdesCatherine Flon ArcahaieCreated Haitian flag
🇮🇸 Iceland5000 kronurRagnheiður JónsdóttirSeamstress
🇮🇲 Isle of Man1, 5, ,10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇯🇲 Jamaica$500Nanny of the MaroonsNational heroine of Jamaica
🇯🇵 Japan5000 yenHiguchi IchiyōWriter
🇯🇪 Jersey1 ,5, 10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan50 somKurmanjan DatkaStateswoman
🇲🇼 Malawi200 kwachaRose Lomathinda ChibamboLeader of African Congress
🇲🇽 Mexico500 pesosFrida Kahlo (and Diego Rivera)Artist, Communist Party militant
🇲🇽 Mexico200 pesosSor Juana Inés de la CruzNun, scholar, poet
🇳🇿 New Zealand$10Kate SheppardSuffragette
🇳🇿 New Zealand$20Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇳🇬 Nigeria20 nairaLadi KwaliPotter
🇳🇴 Norway100 kronerKirsten FalgstadOpera singer
🇳🇴 Norway500 kronerSigrid UndsetNobel Prize winner
🇵🇪 Peru200 solesRose of LimaFirst catholic saint of the Americas
🇵🇭 Philippines500 pesosCorazon C. AquinoFirst female president in Phillipines
🇵🇭 Philippines1000 pesosJosefa Llanes EscodaFounder, Philippines Girl Scouts
🇰🇳 St. Kitts and Nevis$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇱🇨 St. Lucia$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland50 poundsMary SlessorMissionary, activist
🇷🇸 Serbia200 dinarNadežda PetrovićPainter
🇰🇷 South Korea50000 wonShin SaimdangArtist, poet
🇻🇨 St Vincent and Grenadines$5, $10, $20, $50, $100Queen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇸🇭 St. Helena5, 10, 20 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇸🇪 Sweden20 kronorAstrid LindgrenAuthor of "Pippi Lockstocking"
🇸🇪 Sweden50 kronorJenny LindOpera singer
🇸🇪 Sweden500 kronorBirgit NilssonOpera singer
🇸🇪 Sweden100 kronorGreta GarboActress
🇨🇭 Switzerland50 francsSophie Taeuber-ArpPainter, sculptor
🇸🇾 Syria500 poundsZenobiaQueen of the Palmyrene Empire
🇹🇳 Tunisia10 dinarsDidoQueen & founder of Carthage
🇹🇷 Turkey50 liraFatma Aliye TopuzFirst female Muslim novelist
🇺🇦 Ukraine200 hryvenLesya UkrainkaPoet, writer
🇬🇧 United Kingdom5, 10, 20, 50 poundsQueen Elizabeth IIQueen of U.K., CAN, AUS, NZ+
🇬🇧 United Kingdom5 poundsElizabeth FryPrison reformer
🇺🇾 Uruguay1000 pesosJuana de IbarbourouPoet
🇻🇪 Venezuela20 bolívaresLuisa Cáceres de ArismendiHeroine of War of Independence

Canada was the first country to use an image of Queen Elizabeth II on their money. In 1935, Canada printed her on a $20 banknote—the British monarch was only a 9-year-old princess at the time. Now, Queen E appears on a variety of different banknotes in 19 different countries. In the Cayman Islands, she’s on their $1, $5, $25, $50, and $100.

A few other queens or royal members have made it onto different banknotes too—Georgia’s 50 lari note has an image of Queen Tamar, who was the Queen of Georgia from 1184 to 1213, and Albania’s 100 lekë features Queen Teuta, a 3rd century queen of an Illyrian tribe.

While royals (especially Queen Elizabeth II) are frequently featured on bills worldwide, women in other positions have also made it onto banknotes.

Authors, singers, poets, and painters are featured on a number of different currencies. For instance, Sweden has Astrid Lindgren—the author of Pippi Longstocking—on their 20 kronor.

Sweden also features three other women on their bills: Birgit Nilsson, Jenny Lind, and Greta Garbo, making their banknote features an even 50/50 split between men and women.

A Quick History of Women Featured on U.S. Banknotes

Essentially the only time a woman was prominently featured on a U.S. banknote was in the late 19th century when Martha Washington—the wife of President George Washington—appeared on a $1 silver certificate.

martha washington 1 dollar silver note

This dearth of women on U.S. banknotes may soon come to an end. The Biden administration is now speeding up efforts to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, an initiative that was delayed in recent years. When the plan was initially introduced by then Treasury secretary, Jacob Lew, in 2016, the new design was set to be unveiled in 2020 on the centennial of the 19th Amendment (which granted women the right to vote).

Women are Still Underrepresented

It’s worth noting that women are still consistently underrepresented in positions of power, and in the media.

And even when women do hold authoritative positions, research has shown they’re taken less seriously than their male counterparts.

That’s why events like International Women’s Day exist. It’s not just a time to celebrate women’s achievements—it’s also a day to shed light on existing gender bias, and ultimately take action to help combat gender inequality.

Want to be part of the change? Learn more about Women’s Day, or donate to fundraising efforts for female-focused charities.

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This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Misc

Comparing Population Pyramids Around the World

Population pyramids can show a country’s demographic advantages and challenges at a glance. See how different parts of the world stack up.

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Visualization of population pyramids of China, India, U.S., and Japan compared

Understanding and Comparing Population Pyramids

Demographic data can reveal all kinds of insights about a population, from the country’s fertility and mortality rates to how certain events and policies have shaped the makeup of a population.

Population pyramids are one of the best ways to visualize population data, and comparing the pyramids of various countries and regions side-by-side can reveal unexpected insights and differences between groups.

This graphic uses population data from the United Nations to compare the demographics of some select nations and regions of the world, showcasing how much age distributions can vary.

Three Types of Population Pyramids

Although population pyramids can come in all shapes and sizes, most generally fall into three distinct categories:

  • Expansive Pyramids: Recognized by their traditional “pyramid-like” shape with a broad base and narrow top, expansive pyramids reflect a population with a high birth rate along with a high mortality rate which is most common in developing countries.
  • Constrictive Pyramids: With a narrow base and thicker middle and top sections of the pyramid, constrictive pyramids often occur in developed economies whose populations have low birth rates and long life expectancies.
  • Stationary Pyramids: These pyramids showcase an evenly distributed population across age groups, often found in newly-developed countries which have stable birth and mortality rates.

Each population pyramid is essentially a visual snapshot of a nation’s current demographic breakdown, shaped by fluctuating birth and mortality rates as well as changes to immigration and social policies.

Understanding the inherent risks associated with different pyramid types can help give insight into the challenges these populations face.

The Risks of Different Population Pyramid Types

Each type of population pyramid structure has unique challenges and advantages often characterized by the country or region’s current stage of economic development.

Populations with expansive pyramids, such as the one representing the continent of Africa, have the advantage of a larger youth and working-aged population, however this advantage can be rendered null if job growth, education, and health care aren’t prioritized.

Countries with constrictive pyramids like Japan face the challenge of supporting their outsized aging population with a diminishing working-aged population. While immigration and increasing birth rates can help in both the short and long term, due to the working population being outnumbered, countries with constrictive pyramids must find ways to increase their productivity to avoid potential declines in economic growth.

China and India’s Demographics Compared

After the world’s population reached eight billion people last year, 2023 brought a new population milestone as India overtook China as the world’s most populous country.

When you compare the two nations’ population pyramids, you can see how India’s population has a strong base of young and working-aged people compared to China’s more constrictive population pyramid that also features a higher median age.

This demographic difference is largely shaped by China’s one-child policy which since 2021 was loosened to be a three-child policy. As a result, China’s total fertility rate is around 1.2 today, in contrast to India’s total fertility rate of 2.0.

While India is set to ride the productivity boom of its large working-age population, the country will have to ensure it can keep its population pyramid stable as the majority of the population ages and total fertility rates continue to decline.

 

Promo image of a special dispatch about population demographics. Interested in learning more about the various factors that affect demographics?

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