Age of electoral democracy (V-Dem) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Age of electoral democracy (V-Dem) was 107 years in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
107 years
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
5th
of 111 countries
All-time high
107 years
in 2025
All-time low
1 years
in 1919
Years of data
107
1919–2025
Age of electoral democracy in United Kingdom, 1919–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 107 years for age of electoral democracy in 2025. That is the highest value across all 107 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age of electoral democracy in United Kingdom peaked at 107 years in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1 years, in 1919.
United Kingdom ranks 5th of 111 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 (V-Dem) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1919 | 1 years | — |
| 1920 | 2 years | +100.0% |
| 1921 | 3 years | +50.0% |
| 1922 | 4 years | +33.3% |
| 1923 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 1924 | 6 years | +20.0% |
| 1925 | 7 years | +16.7% |
| 1926 | 8 years | +14.3% |
| 1927 | 9 years | +12.5% |
| 1928 | 10 years | +11.1% |
| 1929 | 11 years | +10.0% |
| 1930 | 12 years | +9.1% |
| 1931 | 13 years | +8.3% |
| 1932 | 14 years | +7.7% |
| 1933 | 15 years | +7.1% |
| 1934 | 16 years | +6.7% |
| 1935 | 17 years | +6.2% |
| 1936 | 18 years | +5.9% |
| 1937 | 19 years | +5.6% |
| 1938 | 20 years | +5.3% |
| 1939 | 21 years | +5.0% |
| 1940 | 22 years | +4.8% |
| 1941 | 23 years | +4.5% |
| 1942 | 24 years | +4.3% |
| 1943 | 25 years | +4.2% |
| 1944 | 26 years | +4.0% |
| 1945 | 27 years | +3.8% |
| 1946 | 28 years | +3.7% |
| 1947 | 29 years | +3.6% |
| 1948 | 30 years | +3.4% |
| 1949 | 31 years | +3.3% |
| 1950 | 32 years | +3.2% |
| 1951 | 33 years | +3.1% |
| 1952 | 34 years | +3.0% |
| 1953 | 35 years | +2.9% |
| 1954 | 36 years | +2.9% |
| 1955 | 37 years | +2.8% |
| 1956 | 38 years | +2.7% |
| 1957 | 39 years | +2.6% |
| 1958 | 40 years | +2.6% |
| 1959 | 41 years | +2.5% |
| 1960 | 42 years | +2.4% |
| 1961 | 43 years | +2.4% |
| 1962 | 44 years | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 45 years | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 46 years | +2.2% |
| 1965 | 47 years | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 48 years | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 49 years | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 50 years | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 51 years | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 52 years | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 53 years | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 54 years | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 55 years | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 56 years | +1.8% |
| 1975 | 57 years | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 58 years | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 59 years | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 60 years | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 61 years | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 62 years | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 63 years | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 64 years | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 65 years | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 66 years | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 67 years | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 68 years | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 69 years | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 70 years | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 71 years | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 72 years | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 73 years | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 74 years | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 75 years | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 76 years | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 77 years | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 78 years | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 79 years | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 80 years | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 81 years | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 82 years | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 83 years | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 84 years | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 85 years | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 86 years | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 87 years | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 88 years | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 89 years | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 90 years | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 91 years | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 92 years | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 93 years | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 94 years | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 95 years | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 96 years | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 97 years | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 98 years | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 99 years | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 100 years | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 101 years | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 102 years | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 103 years | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 104 years | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 105 years | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 106 years | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 107 years | +0.9% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 107 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 63.5 years, 1.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 107 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 36 years, 3.0× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Age of electoral democracy (V-Dem) in United Kingdom 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | +100.0% | 1 years | 2 years |
| 1921 | +50.0% | 2 years | 3 years |
| 1922 | +33.3% | 3 years | 4 years |
| 1923 | +25.0% | 4 years | 5 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 1 years | 1 years | 1 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 6.5 years | 2 years | 11 years | 10 |
| 1930s | 16.5 years | 12 years | 21 years | 10 |
| 1940s | 26.5 years | 22 years | 31 years | 10 |
| 1950s | 36.5 years | 32 years | 41 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 46.5 years | 42 years | 51 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 56.5 years | 52 years | 61 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 66.5 years | 62 years | 71 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.5 years | 72 years | 81 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 86.5 years | 82 years | 91 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 96.5 years | 92 years | 101 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 104.5 years | 102 years | 107 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More social development data for United Kingdom
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 581,072 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 517 (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 517 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0084 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 United Kingdom?
- Age of electoral democracy in United Kingdom was 107 years in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest age of electoral democracy recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 107 years in 2025.
- What is the lowest age of electoral democracy recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 years in 1919.
- How does United Kingdom rank for age of electoral democracy?
- United Kingdom ranks 5th out of 111 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age of electoral democracy rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (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 — 107 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of consecutive years in electoral democracy.