Age of electoral democracy (V-Dem) in United States
United States: Age of electoral democracy (V-Dem) was 106 years in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
106 years
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
6th
of 111 countries
All-time high
106 years
in 2025
All-time low
1 years
in 1920
Years of data
106
1920–2025
Age of electoral democracy in United States, 1920–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2025, age of electoral democracy in United States stood at 106 years. That is the highest value across all 106 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age of electoral democracy in United States peaked at 106 years in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1 years, in 1920.
United States ranks 6th 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 States, 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% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 106 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 63.5 years, 1.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Age of electoral democracy (V-Dem) 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.
| 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 United States
More social development data for United States
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 457,647 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 3,667 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (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 3,667 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0013 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 States?
- Age of electoral democracy in United States was 106 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 States?
- The highest recorded value was 106 years in 2025.
- What is the lowest age of electoral democracy recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 years in 1920.
- How does United States rank for age of electoral democracy?
- United States ranks 6th out of 111 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age of electoral democracy rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States 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 — 106 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of consecutive years in electoral democracy.