Ireland vs United Kingdom: Age of full democracy
Ireland
80 years
in 2025
United Kingdom
80 years
in 2025
Ireland rank
1st
United Kingdom rank
1st
Age of full democracy over time
- Ireland
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 80 years against 80 years in United Kingdom, a difference of 0 years.
Across all 80 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
Ireland ranks 1st and United Kingdom ranks 1st of 89 countries.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 2.5 years | 2.5 years | 0 years | — |
| 1950s | 9.5 years | 9.5 years | 0 years | — |
| 1960s | 19.5 years | 19.5 years | 0 years | — |
| 1970s | 29.5 years | 29.5 years | 0 years | — |
| 1980s | 39.5 years | 39.5 years | 0 years | — |
| 1990s | 49.5 years | 49.5 years | 0 years | — |
| 2000s | 59.5 years | 59.5 years | 0 years | — |
| 2010s | 69.5 years | 69.5 years | 0 years | — |
| 2020s | 77.5 years | 77.5 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher age of full democracy, Ireland or United Kingdom?
- Ireland, at 80 years against 80 years in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in age of full democracy between Ireland and United Kingdom?
- 0 years, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and United Kingdom?
- 80 years are reported by both, from 1946 to 2025.
- How do Ireland and United Kingdom rank globally for age of full democracy?
- Ireland ranks 1st and United Kingdom ranks 1st of 89 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Age of full democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of consecutive years in a full democracy.