Age of electoral democracy (Lexical Index) in Canada
Canada: Age of electoral democracy (Lexical Index) was 106 years in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Age of electoral democracy in Canada, 1920–2025
Source: Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2025, age of electoral democracy in Canada stood at 106 years. That is the highest value across all 106 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age of electoral democracy in Canada peaked at 106 years in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1 years, in 1920.
Canada ranks 6th of 144 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Age of electoral democracy (Lexical Index) in Canada, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 1 years | — |
| 1921 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 1922 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1923 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 1924 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 1925 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 1926 | 7 years | +16.7% |
| 1927 | 8 years | +14.3% |
| 1928 | 9 years | +12.5% |
| 1929 | 10 years | +11.1% |
| 1930 | 11 years | +10.0% |
| 1931 | 12 years | +9.1% |
| 1932 | 13 years | +8.3% |
| 1933 | 14 years | +7.7% |
| 1934 | 15 years | +7.1% |
| 1935 | 16 years | +6.7% |
| 1936 | 17 years | +6.2% |
| 1937 | 18 years | +5.9% |
| 1938 | 19 years | +5.6% |
| 1939 | 20 years | +5.3% |
| 1940 | 21 years | +5.0% |
| 1941 | 22 years | +4.8% |
| 1942 | 23 years | +4.5% |
| 1943 | 24 years | +4.3% |
| 1944 | 25 years | +4.2% |
| 1945 | 26 years | +4.0% |
| 1946 | 27 years | +3.8% |
| 1947 | 28 years | +3.7% |
| 1948 | 29 years | +3.6% |
| 1949 | 30 years | +3.4% |
| 1950 | 31 years | +3.3% |
| 1951 | 32 years | +3.2% |
| 1952 | 33 years | +3.1% |
| 1953 | 34 years | +3.0% |
| 1954 | 35 years | +2.9% |
| 1955 | 36 years | +2.9% |
| 1956 | 37 years | +2.8% |
| 1957 | 38 years | +2.7% |
| 1958 | 39 years | +2.6% |
| 1959 | 40 years | +2.6% |
| 1960 | 41 years | +2.5% |
| 1961 | 42 years | +2.4% |
| 1962 | 43 years | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 44 years | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 45 years | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 46 years | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 47 years | +2.2% |
| 1967 | 48 years | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 49 years | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 50 years | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 51 years | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 52 years | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 53 years | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 54 years | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 55 years | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 56 years | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 57 years | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 58 years | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 59 years | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 60 years | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 61 years | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 62 years | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 63 years | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 64 years | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 65 years | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 66 years | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 67 years | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 68 years | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 69 years | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 70 years | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 71 years | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 72 years | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 73 years | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 74 years | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 75 years | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 76 years | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 77 years | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 78 years | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 79 years | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 80 years | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 81 years | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 82 years | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 83 years | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 84 years | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 85 years | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 86 years | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 87 years | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 88 years | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 89 years | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 90 years | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 91 years | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 92 years | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 93 years | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 94 years | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 95 years | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 96 years | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 97 years | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 98 years | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 99 years | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 100 years | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 101 years | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 102 years | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 103 years | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 104 years | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 105 years | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 106 years | +1.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 106 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 57 years, 1.9× the median. (54 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Age of electoral democracy (Lexical Index) in Canada 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | +100.0% | 1 years | 2 years |
| 1922 | +50.0% | 2 years | 3 years |
| 1923 | +33.3% | 3 years | 4 years |
| 1924 | +25.0% | 4 years | 5 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5.5 years | 1 years | 10 years | 10 |
| 1930s | 15.5 years | 11 years | 20 years | 10 |
| 1940s | 25.5 years | 21 years | 30 years | 10 |
| 1950s | 35.5 years | 31 years | 40 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 45.5 years | 41 years | 50 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 55.5 years | 51 years | 60 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 65.5 years | 61 years | 70 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.5 years | 71 years | 80 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 85.5 years | 81 years | 90 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 95.5 years | 91 years | 100 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 103.5 years | 101 years | 106 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More social development data for Canada
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 416,028 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 360 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 360 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.01 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age of electoral democracy in Canada?
- Age of electoral democracy in Canada was 106 years in 2025, according to Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest age of electoral democracy recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 106 years in 2025.
- What is the lowest age of electoral democracy recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 years in 1920.
- How does Canada rank for age of electoral democracy?
- Canada ranks 6th out of 144 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age of electoral democracy rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Age of electoral democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 106 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of consecutive years in electoral democracy.