United Kingdom vs United States: Share of adult citizens who have the right to vote
United Kingdom
100.0%
in 2025
United States
100.0%
in 2025
United Kingdom rank
1st
United States rank
1st
Share of adult citizens who have the right to vote over time
- United Kingdom
- United States
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 100.0% against 100.0% in United States, a difference of 0.0%.
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.
Across the 25 decades both report, United Kingdom averaged higher in 6 and United States in 13.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United Kingdom | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 2.5% | 27.5% | 25.0% | United States |
| 1790s | 2.5% | 29.5% | 27.0% | United States |
| 1800s | 2.5% | 32.0% | 29.5% | United States |
| 1810s | 2.5% | 34.0% | 31.5% | United States |
| 1820s | 2.5% | 35.0% | 32.5% | United States |
| 1830s | 7.3% | 35.0% | 27.7% | United States |
| 1840s | 8.5% | 35.0% | 26.5% | United States |
| 1850s | 8.5% | 35.0% | 26.5% | United States |
| 1860s | 12.2% | 35.0% | 22.8% | United States |
| 1870s | 20.0% | 44.0% | 24.0% | United States |
| 1880s | 29.0% | 43.0% | 14.0% | United States |
| 1890s | 35.0% | 42.0% | 7.0% | United States |
| 1900s | 35.0% | 41.0% | 6.0% | United States |
| 1910s | 41.5% | 41.0% | 0.5% | United Kingdom |
| 1920s | 100.0% | 88.0% | 12.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1930s | 100.0% | 90.7% | 9.3% | United Kingdom |
| 1940s | 100.0% | 93.4% | 6.6% | United Kingdom |
| 1950s | 100.0% | 95.0% | 5.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 100.0% | 97.0% | 3.0% | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 1980s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 1990s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2000s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2010s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 2020s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of adult citizens who have the right to vote, United Kingdom or United States?
- United Kingdom, at 100.0% against 100.0% in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of adult citizens who have the right to vote between United Kingdom and United States?
- 0.0%, 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 share of adult citizens who have the right to vote?
- 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 Share of adult citizens who have the right to vote. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adult citizens which have the legal right to vote in national elections.