United Kingdom vs United States: Electoral democracy (Lexical Index)
Electoral democracy (Lexical Index) over time
- United Kingdom
- United States
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 1 against 1 in United States, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was United States ahead.
United Kingdom ranks 1st and United States ranks 1st of 198 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 25 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United Kingdom | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1790s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1800s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1810s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1820s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1830s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1840s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1850s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1860s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1880s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1890s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1920s | 0.2 | 0 | 0.2 | United Kingdom |
| 1930s | 1 | 0 | 1 | United Kingdom |
| 1940s | 1 | 0 | 1 | United Kingdom |
| 1950s | 1 | 0 | 1 | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1980s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1990s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2000s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher electoral democracy, United Kingdom or United States?
- United Kingdom, at 1 against 1 in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in electoral democracy between United Kingdom and United States?
- 0, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United Kingdom and United States?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do United Kingdom and United States rank globally for electoral democracy?
- United Kingdom ranks 1st and United States ranks 1st of 198 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Electoral democracy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Identifies the political regime of a country using the reduced Lexical Index of Electoral Democracy. It distinguishes between non-electoral autocracies, one-party autocracies, multi-party autocracies without elected executive, multi-party autocracies, exclusive democracies, male democracies, and electoral democracies (including full democracies or polyarchies).