United Kingdom vs United States: Meaningful democratic electoral institutions
United Kingdom
1
in 2025
United States
1
in 2025
United Kingdom rank
1st
United States rank
1st
Meaningful democratic electoral institutions over time
- United Kingdom
- United States
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 1 against 1 in United States, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was United States ahead.
United Kingdom ranks 1st and United States ranks 1st of 176 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 25 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United Kingdom | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1790s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1800s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1810s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1820s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1830s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1840s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1850s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1860s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1880s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1890s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1910s | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | United Kingdom |
| 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 meaningful democratic electoral institutions, United Kingdom or United States?
- United Kingdom, at 1 against 1 in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in meaningful democratic electoral institutions between United Kingdom and United States?
- 0, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United Kingdom and United States?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do United Kingdom and United States rank globally for meaningful democratic electoral institutions?
- United Kingdom ranks 1st and United States ranks 1st of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Meaningful democratic electoral institutions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of whether the country is meaningfully an electoral democracy. This includes the extent to which political leaders are elected under comprehensive suffrage in free and fair elections, and freedoms of association and expression are guaranteed.