Statizoid

Age of democracy in United States

United States: Age of democracy was 155 years in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
155 years
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
2nd
of 110 countries
All-time high
155 years
in 2019
All-time low
1 years
in 1801
Years of data
214
1801–2019

Age of democracy in United States, 1801–2019

050100150180119102019

Source: Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.

Analysis

United States recorded 155 years for age of democracy in 2019. That is the highest value across all 214 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, age of democracy in United States peaked at 155 years in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1 years, in 1801.

That places United States 2nd out of 110 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Age of democracy in United States, year by year

Year years Change
1801 1 years —
1802 2 years +100.0%
1803 3 years +50.0%
1804 4 years +33.3%
1805 5 years +25.0%
1806 6 years +20.0%
1807 7 years +16.7%
1808 8 years +14.3%
1809 9 years +12.5%
1810 10 years +11.1%
1811 11 years +10.0%
1812 12 years +9.1%
1813 13 years +8.3%
1814 14 years +7.7%
1815 15 years +7.1%
1816 16 years +6.7%
1817 17 years +6.2%
1818 18 years +5.9%
1819 19 years +5.6%
1820 20 years +5.3%
1821 21 years +5.0%
1822 22 years +4.8%
1823 23 years +4.5%
1824 24 years +4.3%
1825 25 years +4.2%
1826 26 years +4.0%
1827 27 years +3.8%
1828 28 years +3.7%
1829 29 years +3.6%
1830 30 years +3.4%
1831 31 years +3.3%
1832 32 years +3.2%
1833 33 years +3.1%
1834 34 years +3.0%
1835 35 years +2.9%
1836 36 years +2.9%
1837 37 years +2.8%
1838 38 years +2.7%
1839 39 years +2.6%
1840 40 years +2.6%
1841 41 years +2.5%
1842 42 years +2.4%
1843 43 years +2.4%
1844 44 years +2.3%
1845 45 years +2.3%
1846 46 years +2.2%
1847 47 years +2.2%
1848 48 years +2.1%
1849 49 years +2.1%
1850 50 years +2.0%
1851 51 years +2.0%
1852 52 years +2.0%
1853 53 years +1.9%
1854 54 years +1.9%
1855 55 years +1.9%
1856 56 years +1.8%
1857 57 years +1.8%
1858 58 years +1.8%
1859 59 years +1.7%
1865 1 years -98.3%
1866 2 years +100.0%
1867 3 years +50.0%
1868 4 years +33.3%
1869 5 years +25.0%
1870 6 years +20.0%
1871 7 years +16.7%
1872 8 years +14.3%
1873 9 years +12.5%
1874 10 years +11.1%
1875 11 years +10.0%
1876 12 years +9.1%
1877 13 years +8.3%
1878 14 years +7.7%
1879 15 years +7.1%
1880 16 years +6.7%
1881 17 years +6.2%
1882 18 years +5.9%
1883 19 years +5.6%
1884 20 years +5.3%
1885 21 years +5.0%
1886 22 years +4.8%
1887 23 years +4.5%
1888 24 years +4.3%
1889 25 years +4.2%
1890 26 years +4.0%
1891 27 years +3.8%
1892 28 years +3.7%
1893 29 years +3.6%
1894 30 years +3.4%
1895 31 years +3.3%
1896 32 years +3.2%
1897 33 years +3.1%
1898 34 years +3.0%
1899 35 years +2.9%
1900 36 years +2.9%
1901 37 years +2.8%
1902 38 years +2.7%
1903 39 years +2.6%
1904 40 years +2.6%
1905 41 years +2.5%
1906 42 years +2.4%
1907 43 years +2.4%
1908 44 years +2.3%
1909 45 years +2.3%
1910 46 years +2.2%
1911 47 years +2.2%
1912 48 years +2.1%
1913 49 years +2.1%
1914 50 years +2.0%
1915 51 years +2.0%
1916 52 years +2.0%
1917 53 years +1.9%
1918 54 years +1.9%
1919 55 years +1.9%
1920 56 years +1.8%
1921 57 years +1.8%
1922 58 years +1.8%
1923 59 years +1.7%
1924 60 years +1.7%
1925 61 years +1.7%
1926 62 years +1.6%
1927 63 years +1.6%
1928 64 years +1.6%
1929 65 years +1.6%
1930 66 years +1.5%
1931 67 years +1.5%
1932 68 years +1.5%
1933 69 years +1.5%
1934 70 years +1.4%
1935 71 years +1.4%
1936 72 years +1.4%
1937 73 years +1.4%
1938 74 years +1.4%
1939 75 years +1.4%
1940 76 years +1.3%
1941 77 years +1.3%
1942 78 years +1.3%
1943 79 years +1.3%
1944 80 years +1.3%
1945 81 years +1.2%
1946 82 years +1.2%
1947 83 years +1.2%
1948 84 years +1.2%
1949 85 years +1.2%
1950 86 years +1.2%
1951 87 years +1.2%
1952 88 years +1.1%
1953 89 years +1.1%
1954 90 years +1.1%
1955 91 years +1.1%
1956 92 years +1.1%
1957 93 years +1.1%
1958 94 years +1.1%
1959 95 years +1.1%
1960 96 years +1.1%
1961 97 years +1.0%
1962 98 years +1.0%
1963 99 years +1.0%
1964 100 years +1.0%
1965 101 years +1.0%
1966 102 years +1.0%
1967 103 years +1.0%
1968 104 years +1.0%
1969 105 years +1.0%
1970 106 years +1.0%
1971 107 years +0.9%
1972 108 years +0.9%
1973 109 years +0.9%
1974 110 years +0.9%
1975 111 years +0.9%
1976 112 years +0.9%
1977 113 years +0.9%
1978 114 years +0.9%
1979 115 years +0.9%
1980 116 years +0.9%
1981 117 years +0.9%
1982 118 years +0.9%
1983 119 years +0.8%
1984 120 years +0.8%
1985 121 years +0.8%
1986 122 years +0.8%
1987 123 years +0.8%
1988 124 years +0.8%
1989 125 years +0.8%
1990 126 years +0.8%
1991 127 years +0.8%
1992 128 years +0.8%
1993 129 years +0.8%
1994 130 years +0.8%
1995 131 years +0.8%
1996 132 years +0.8%
1997 133 years +0.8%
1998 134 years +0.8%
1999 135 years +0.7%
2000 136 years +0.7%
2001 137 years +0.7%
2002 138 years +0.7%
2003 139 years +0.7%
2004 140 years +0.7%
2005 141 years +0.7%
2006 142 years +0.7%
2007 143 years +0.7%
2008 144 years +0.7%
2009 145 years +0.7%
2010 146 years +0.7%
2011 147 years +0.7%
2012 148 years +0.7%
2013 149 years +0.7%
2014 150 years +0.7%
2015 151 years +0.7%
2016 152 years +0.7%
2017 153 years +0.7%
2018 154 years +0.7%
2019 155 years +0.6%

United States compared with similar countries

  • United States's 155 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 44 years, 3.5× the median. (43 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Age of democracy in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1865 -98.3% 59 years 1 years
1802 +100.0% 1 years 2 years
1866 +100.0% 1 years 2 years
1803 +50.0% 2 years 3 years
1867 +50.0% 2 years 3 years
1804 +33.3% 3 years 4 years

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1800s 5 years 1 years 9 years 9
1810s 14.5 years 10 years 19 years 10
1820s 24.5 years 20 years 29 years 10
1830s 34.5 years 30 years 39 years 10
1840s 44.5 years 40 years 49 years 10
1850s 54.5 years 50 years 59 years 10
1860s 3 years 1 years 5 years 5
1870s 10.5 years 6 years 15 years 10
1880s 20.5 years 16 years 25 years 10
1890s 30.5 years 26 years 35 years 10
1900s 40.5 years 36 years 45 years 10
1910s 50.5 years 46 years 55 years 10
1920s 60.5 years 56 years 65 years 10
1930s 70.5 years 66 years 75 years 10
1940s 80.5 years 76 years 85 years 10
1950s 90.5 years 86 years 95 years 10
1960s 100.5 years 96 years 105 years 10
1970s 110.5 years 106 years 115 years 10
1980s 120.5 years 116 years 125 years 10
1990s 130.5 years 126 years 135 years 10
2000s 140.5 years 136 years 145 years 10
2010s 150.5 years 146 years 155 years 10

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 1 Switzerland 171 years compare
  2. 3 New Zealand 142 years compare
  3. 4 United Kingdom 139 years compare
  4. 5 Canada 131 years compare

See the full ranking of 110 places →

More social development data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is age of democracy in United States?
Age of democracy in United States was 155 years in 2019, according to Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest age of democracy recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 155 years in 2019.
What is the lowest age of democracy recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 1 years in 1801.
How does United States rank for age of democracy?
United States ranks 2nd out of 110 countries with data for 2019.
Is age of democracy rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Age of democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Age of democracy in United States. Statizoid, drawing on Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/age-of-democracy-polity/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Age of democracy
Unit
years
Source
Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
110 places, 4,915 data points, 1801–2019
Last refreshed

Number of consecutive years in a democracy.