Which has higher universal right to vote in practice, Maldives or Western Sahara?

Maldives, at 2 against 2 in Western Sahara as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Maldives and Western Sahara?

63 years are reported by both, from 1963 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Universal right to vote in practice. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Maldives vs Western Sahara: Universal right to vote in practice

Maldives

in 2025

Western Sahara

in 2025

Maldives rank

1st

Western Sahara rank

1st

Universal right to vote in practice over time

Maldives
Western Sahara

How they compare

Maldives currently reports 2 against 2 in Western Sahara, a difference of 0.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 63 shared years of data; in 1963 it was Western Sahara ahead.

Maldives ranks 1st and Western Sahara ranks 1st of 197 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Maldives averaged higher in 5 and Western Sahara in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Maldives	Western Sahara	Difference	Ahead
1960s	0.5714	0	0.5714	Maldives
1970s	2	0	2	Maldives
1980s	2	0	2	Maldives
1990s	2	0	2	Maldives
2000s	2	0.4	1.6	Maldives
2010s	1.8	2	0.2	Western Sahara
2020s	2	2	0	—

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher universal right to vote in practice, Maldives or Western Sahara?: Maldives, at 2 against 2 in Western Sahara as of 2025.
What is the difference in universal right to vote in practice between Maldives and Western Sahara?: 0, with Maldives ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Maldives and Western Sahara?: 63 years are reported by both, from 1963 to 2025.
How do Maldives and Western Sahara rank globally for universal right to vote in practice?: Maldives ranks 1st and Western Sahara ranks 1st of 197 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Universal right to vote in practice. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Universal right to vote in practice
Source: Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 198 places, 32,485 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Indicates whether virtually all adult citizens have the right to vote in practice (score 2), only men have broad voting rights in practice (score 1), or there are no broad voting rights in practice (score 0).