diff --git a/autoapi/_parser.py b/autoapi/_parser.py
index 710d432c..3b58d06f 100644
--- a/autoapi/_parser.py
+++ b/autoapi/_parser.py
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ def parse_typealias(self, node):
         return [data]
 
     def parse(self, node):
-        data = {}
+        data = []
 
         node_type = node.__class__.__name__.lower()
         parse_func = getattr(self, "parse_" + node_type, None)
diff --git a/docs/changes/+f5e49f9f.misc.rst b/docs/changes/+f5e49f9f.misc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ea14abd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changes/+f5e49f9f.misc.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix the parser returning a dictionary instead of a list in the empty parse scenario
diff --git a/tests/python/test_parser.py b/tests/python/test_parser.py
index fb4d28b8..288ad9c2 100644
--- a/tests/python/test_parser.py
+++ b/tests/python/test_parser.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def test_parses_all_multiline(self):
 
     def test_parses_name(self):
         source = "foo.bar"
-        assert self.parse(source) == {}
+        assert self.parse(source) == []
 
     def test_parses_list(self):
         name = "__all__"