New Zealand vs United States: Competitive elections
New Zealand
1
in 2025
United States
1
in 2025
New Zealand rank
1st
United States rank
1st
Competitive elections over time
- New Zealand
- United States
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 1 against 1 in United States, a difference of 0.
Across all 185 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
New Zealand ranks 1st and United States ranks 1st of 197 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 19 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840s | 0 | 1 | 1 | United States |
| 1850s | 0 | 1 | 1 | United States |
| 1860s | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 | United States |
| 1870s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1880s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1890s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1900s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1910s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1920s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1930s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1940s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1950s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1960s | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 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 competitive elections, New Zealand or United States?
- New Zealand, at 1 against 1 in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in competitive elections between New Zealand and United States?
- 0, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and United States?
- 185 years are reported by both, from 1841 to 2025.
- How do New Zealand and United States rank globally for competitive elections?
- New Zealand ranks 1st and United States ranks 1st of 197 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Competitive elections. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Whether the outcomes of elections are uncertain because their timing is not violated, voters are not systematically coerced, and election fraud is not consequential.