Congress · Demographics

Who Serves in Congress?

The age, gender and tenure of every voting member of Congress since 1933. Who holds the seats shapes which questions Congress takes up, and these charts show how fast, or how slowly, that has changed.

How to read this

Each bar or point is one Congress and counts everyone who held a seat at any time in its two years, so mid-term replacements are included. The strip under each chart shows the president in office for most of each Congress, tinted by party. Click a Congress to pin it across all three charts.

119th Congress, 2025–2026

Median ageMedian age: 58.7; Democrats 58.6 · Republicans 58.7
WomenWomen: 28%; 155 of 549 members
Avg. timeAverage time in Congress: 12 years; 14% have served over 20 years

Is Congress getting older?

Median ages were lowest in the early 1980s: 49.0 for Republicans in the 97th Congress (1981–1982) and 49.5 for Democrats in the 98th. Democrats peaked at 62.2 in the 115th (2017–2018) and were the older caucus from the 104th through the 118th (1995–2024).

Democrats 58.6 · Republicans 58.7

119th Congress, 2025–2026 · Donald Trump · click a Congress to pin it on all three charts

Democrats 58.6 · Republicans 58.7

119th Congress, 2025–2026 · Donald Trump

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119th Congress, 2025–2026 · Oldest first, age on Jan 3, 2025

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Data notes

Each line is a caucus’s median age on the day the Congress convened, exact to the day. The average is within about a year of it in most Congresses (it is in the tooltip and in View as table, with the number of members behind each figure). Members with no recorded birthdate are left out, and independents who caucus with a party are grouped with it.

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Congress	Years	President	Dem. median	Dem. average	Rep. median	Rep. average	Members with a birthdate (Dem. / Rep.)
119th	2025–2026	Donald Trump	58.6	59.0	58.7	58.0	268 / 281
118th	2023–2024	Joe Biden	59.5	59.1	58.5	57.5	271 / 277
117th	2021–2022	Joe Biden	61.2	60.2	58.4	57.4	279 / 272
116th	2019–2020	Donald Trump	60.4	59.1	58.0	57.7	285 / 259
115th	2017–2018	Donald Trump	62.2	60.7	57.0	57.2	250 / 305
114th	2015–2016	Barack Obama	61.7	60.4	55.9	55.9	236 / 305
113th	2013–2014	Barack Obama	60.4	59.5	56.0	55.7	262 / 286
112th	2011–2012	Barack Obama	60.9	60.3	55.3	55.3	254 / 292
111th	2009–2010	Barack Obama	59.1	58.4	56.6	56.9	328 / 225
110th	2007–2008	George W. Bush	58.5	57.6	56.3	56.9	293 / 256
109th	2005–2006	George W. Bush	57.9	57.4	55.3	55.8	249 / 291
108th	2003–2004	George W. Bush	56.3	56.3	54.3	54.7	258 / 281
107th	2001–2002	George W. Bush	55.4	55.3	53.7	54.3	264 / 279
106th	1999–2000	Bill Clinton	53.7	54.4	53.1	53.9	259 / 280
105th	1997–1998	Bill Clinton	53.3	53.9	51.6	52.4	258 / 286
104th	1995–1996	Bill Clinton	52.8	53.8	51.6	51.7	256 / 286
103th	1993–1994	Bill Clinton	51.5	52.9	52.6	52.9	320 / 226
102th	1991–1992	George H. W. Bush	51.9	53.7	54.6	54.0	332 / 215
101th	1989–1990	George H. W. Bush	50.5	52.7	53.0	52.5	323 / 222
100th	1987–1988	Ronald Reagan	49.7	52.3	51.9	51.3	318 / 226
99th	1985–1986	Ronald Reagan	50.2	51.5	51.6	50.4	305 / 236
98th	1983–1984	Ronald Reagan	49.5	50.3	50.4	49.6	320 / 223
97th	1981–1982	Ronald Reagan	49.6	50.5	49.0	48.3	294 / 250
96th	1979–1980	Jimmy Carter	50.1	50.3	49.5	49.5	339 / 202
95th	1977–1978	Jimmy Carter	50.4	50.8	50.3	50.3	361 / 188
94th	1975–1976	Gerald Ford	50.9	51.6	50.5	50.7	362 / 187
93th	1973–1974	Richard Nixon	53.0	53.3	50.5	51.3	306 / 239
92th	1971–1972	Richard Nixon	53.2	53.5	51.2	52.6	317 / 229
91th	1969–1970	Richard Nixon	53.2	53.5	51.3	51.7	308 / 242
90th	1967–1968	Lyndon B. Johnson	52.5	53.4	50.0	51.2	316 / 227
89th	1965–1966	Lyndon B. Johnson	51.4	52.2	51.0	52.2	373 / 175
88th	1963–1964	Lyndon B. Johnson	52.5	53.2	53.3	52.6	334 / 215
87th	1961–1962	John F. Kennedy	52.6	53.4	55.0	53.9	340 / 218
86th	1959–1960	Dwight D. Eisenhower	51.3	52.4	55.5	54.7	356 / 195
85th	1957–1958	Dwight D. Eisenhower	52.9	53.2	56.4	55.4	294 / 251
84th	1955–1956	Dwight D. Eisenhower	51.2	52.2	55.4	54.7	287 / 252
83th	1953–1954	Dwight D. Eisenhower	51.5	52.2	54.7	54.1	274 / 276
82th	1951–1952	Harry S. Truman	51.0	52.3	54.1	54.3	292 / 259
81th	1949–1950	Harry S. Truman	50.6	51.4	54.4	54.7	329 / 222
80th	1947–1948	Harry S. Truman	51.6	52.0	52.4	53.0	245 / 304
79th	1945–1946	Harry S. Truman	52.0	53.2	53.3	53.9	318 / 243
78th	1943–1944	Franklin D. Roosevelt	51.7	53.1	52.5	53.2	289 / 259
77th	1941–1942	Franklin D. Roosevelt	50.8	52.0	52.3	52.8	352 / 201
76th	1939–1940	Franklin D. Roosevelt	51.2	52.3	51.5	52.1	348 / 206
75th	1937–1938	Franklin D. Roosevelt	51.9	52.0	55.2	54.4	423 / 114
74th	1935–1936	Franklin D. Roosevelt	52.4	52.1	54.8	54.6	405 / 132
73th	1933–1934	Franklin D. Roosevelt	53.4	52.6	55.3	55.6	386 / 156

How many members are women?

Congress never had more than 33 women from the 73rd through the 102nd (1933–1992); the 103rd (1993–1994) had 54, and the 113th (2013–2014) was the first with over 100. Democratic women outnumbered Republican women in every Congress from the 100th through the 119th.

Dem. 113 · Rep. 42 (28% of members)

119th Congress, 2025–2026 · Donald Trump · click a Congress to pin it on all three charts

Dem. 113 · Rep. 42 (28% of members)

119th Congress, 2025–2026 · Donald Trump

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119th Congress, 2025–2026 · Longest-serving first, years counting this Congress

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Data notes

Women in each Congress by caucus: how many, their share of all members (the rest are men), or their share of each party’s own members. A Congress has more members than the chambers have seats because replacements are counted. The source records gender as male or female only.

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Congress	Years	Members	Women	Share	Dem. women	Rep. women
119th	2025–2026	549	155	28%	113	42
118th	2023–2024	548	154	28%	111	43
117th	2021–2022	551	152	28%	110	42
116th	2019–2020	544	128	24%	106	22
115th	2017–2018	555	111	20%	82	29
114th	2015–2016	541	105	19%	77	28
113th	2013–2014	548	101	18%	77	24
112th	2011–2012	546	93	17%	64	29
111th	2009–2010	553	93	17%	72	21
110th	2007–2008	549	92	17%	66	26
109th	2005–2006	540	82	15%	52	30
108th	2003–2004	539	74	14%	48	26
107th	2001–2002	545	73	13%	52	21
106th	1999–2000	539	65	12%	45	20
105th	1997–1998	544	64	12%	43	21
104th	1995–1996	542	57	11%	36	21
103th	1993–1994	546	54	9.9%	40	14
102th	1991–1992	547	33	6%	23	10
101th	1989–1990	545	31	5.7%	17	14
100th	1987–1988	544	26	4.8%	14	12
99th	1985–1986	541	25	4.6%	12	13
98th	1983–1984	543	24	4.4%	13	11
97th	1981–1982	545	23	4.2%	11	12
96th	1979–1980	542	17	3.1%	11	6
95th	1977–1978	549	21	3.8%	15	6
94th	1975–1976	550	19	3.5%	14	5
93th	1973–1974	547	16	2.9%	14	2
92th	1971–1972	547	15	2.7%	11	4
91th	1969–1970	550	11	2%	6	5
90th	1967–1968	543	12	2.2%	6	6
89th	1965–1966	548	13	2.4%	8	5
88th	1963–1964	550	14	2.5%	7	7
87th	1961–1962	558	20	3.6%	12	8
86th	1959–1960	552	19	3.4%	10	9
85th	1957–1958	545	16	2.9%	9	7
84th	1955–1956	540	17	3.1%	10	7
83th	1953–1954	552	14	2.5%	5	9
82th	1951–1952	553	11	2%	4	7
81th	1949–1950	553	10	1.8%	5	5
80th	1947–1948	552	8	1.4%	3	5
79th	1945–1946	564	11	2%	6	5
78th	1943–1944	554	9	1.6%	3	6
77th	1941–1942	561	10	1.8%	5	5
76th	1939–1940	561	9	1.6%	5	4
75th	1937–1938	553	9	1.6%	7	2
74th	1935–1936	549	8	1.5%	6	2
73th	1933–1934	548	8	1.5%	5	3

How long have members been in Congress?

Members with over 20 years in Congress were 6.2% of the 73rd Congress (1933–1934) and peaked at 20% in the 115th (2017–2018). Those with up to 2 years were 33% of the 73rd, and no more than 23% from the 79th through the 119th.

Up to 2 years 15% · 3–10 years 44% · 11–20 years 27% · Over 20 years 14%

119th Congress, 2025–2026 · Donald Trump · click a Congress to pin it on all three charts

Up to 2 years 15% · 3–10 years 44% · 11–20 years 27% · Over 20 years 14%

119th Congress, 2025–2026 · Donald Trump

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Up to 2 years3–10 years11–20 yearsOver 20 years

119th Congress, 2025–2026 · Longest-serving first, years counting this Congress

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Data notes

Each bar groups a Congress’s members by years served, counting that Congress: every Congress served in either chamber, gaps and service before 1933 included, at two years each (up to 2 years is a first Congress, 3–10 years is two to five). Every bar is 100%, of everyone or of the party picked above.

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Congress	Years	Members	Up to 2 years (share)	3–10 years (share)	11–20 years (share)	Over 20 years (share)
119th	2025–2026	549	15%	44%	27%	14%
118th	2023–2024	548	16%	42%	27%	15%
117th	2021–2022	551	14%	44%	25%	17%
116th	2019–2020	544	18%	43%	21%	18%
115th	2017–2018	555	13%	46%	21%	20%
114th	2015–2016	541	13%	48%	22%	18%
113th	2013–2014	548	17%	40%	24%	20%
112th	2011–2012	546	20%	32%	30%	19%
111th	2009–2010	553	15%	34%	32%	20%
110th	2007–2008	549	13%	32%	36%	19%
109th	2005–2006	540	8.3%	39%	35%	18%
108th	2003–2004	539	12%	40%	30%	18%
107th	2001–2002	545	10%	49%	24%	17%
106th	1999–2000	539	8.9%	50%	26%	15%
105th	1997–1998	544	15%	45%	27%	13%
104th	1995–1996	542	17%	41%	27%	15%
103th	1993–1994	546	23%	29%	34%	14%
102th	1991–1992	547	9.9%	37%	38%	14%
101th	1989–1990	545	8.8%	42%	37%	13%
100th	1987–1988	544	11%	46%	30%	13%
99th	1985–1986	541	8.7%	52%	27%	12%
98th	1983–1984	543	16%	50%	23%	11%
97th	1981–1982	545	17%	51%	22%	9.7%
96th	1979–1980	542	17%	46%	25%	12%
95th	1977–1978	549	15%	45%	27%	12%
94th	1975–1976	550	19%	37%	29%	14%
93th	1973–1974	547	16%	39%	29%	16%
92th	1971–1972	547	12%	41%	31%	16%
91th	1969–1970	550	11%	45%	28%	17%
90th	1967–1968	543	14%	44%	25%	17%
89th	1965–1966	548	18%	39%	27%	16%
88th	1963–1964	550	15%	38%	32%	15%
87th	1961–1962	558	14%	41%	31%	14%
86th	1959–1960	552	19%	39%	28%	15%
85th	1957–1958	545	11%	43%	35%	12%
84th	1955–1956	540	11%	49%	31%	9.4%
83th	1953–1954	552	18%	45%	29%	8%
82th	1951–1952	553	14%	52%	28%	6.7%
81th	1949–1950	553	22%	44%	26%	8.1%
80th	1947–1948	552	23%	49%	19%	9.1%
79th	1945–1946	564	19%	51%	20%	10%
78th	1943–1944	554	23%	47%	21%	9.7%
77th	1941–1942	561	17%	56%	18%	8.4%
76th	1939–1940	561	25%	49%	17%	9.3%
75th	1937–1938	553	22%	52%	19%	7.6%
74th	1935–1936	549	23%	49%	22%	6.6%
73th	1933–1934	548	33%	34%	26%	6.2%

Source: member biographies and terms from the @unitedstates/congress-legislators project; Congress membership lists from Voteview (Lewis, Poole, Rosenthal, Boche, Rudkin & Sonnet). Voting members only: delegates and resident commissioners are not counted.