CIA SealFactbook Logo Suffrage
Country profile category: Government
 
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Afghanistan: NA; previously males 15-50 years of age
Albania: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Algeria: 18 years of age; universal
American Samoa: 18 years of age; universal
Andorra: 18 years of age; universal
Angola: 18 years of age; universal
Anguilla: 18 years of age; universal
Antigua and Barbuda: 18 years of age; universal
Argentina: 18 years of age; universal and mandatory
Armenia: 18 years of age; universal
Aruba: 18 years of age; universal
Australia: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Austria: 19 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections
Azerbaijan: 18 years of age; universal
Bahamas, The: 18 years of age; universal
Bahrain: none
Bangladesh: 18 years of age; universal
Barbados: 18 years of age; universal
Belarus: 18 years of age; universal
Belgium: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Belize: 18 years of age; universal
Benin: 18 years of age; universal
Bermuda: 18 years of age; universal
Bhutan: each family has one vote in village-level elections
Bolivia: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal
Botswana: 18 years of age; universal
Brazil: voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age
British Virgin Islands: 18 years of age; universal
Brunei: none
Bulgaria: 18 years of age; universal
Burkina Faso: universal
Burma: 18 years of age; universal
Burundi: NA years of age; universal adult
Cambodia: 18 years of age; universal
Cameroon: 20 years of age; universal
Canada: 18 years of age; universal
Cape Verde: 18 years of age; universal
Cayman Islands: 18 years of age; universal
Central African Republic: 21 years of age; universal
Chad: 18 years of age; universal
Chile: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
China: 18 years of age; universal
Cocos (Keeling) Islands: NA
Colombia: 18 years of age; universal
Comoros: 18 years of age; universal
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Congo, Republic of the: 18 years of age; universal
Cook Islands: NA years of age; universal adult
Costa Rica: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Cote d'Ivoire: 18 years of age; universal
Croatia: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)
Cuba: 16 years of age; universal
Cyprus: 18 years of age; universal
Czech Republic: 18 years of age; universal
Denmark: 18 years of age; universal
Djibouti: NA years of age; universal adult
Dominica: 18 years of age; universal
Dominican Republic: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age

note:  members of the armed forces and police cannot vote
Ecuador: 18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters
Egypt: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
El Salvador: 18 years of age; universal
Equatorial Guinea: 18 years of age; universal adult
Eritrea: 18 years of age; universal
Estonia: 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Ethiopia: 18 years of age; universal
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas): 18 years of age; universal
Faroe Islands: 18 years of age; universal
Fiji: 21 years of age; universal
Finland: 18 years of age; universal
France: 18 years of age; universal
French Guiana: 18 years of age; universal
French Polynesia: 18 years of age; universal
Gabon: 21 years of age; universal
Gambia, The: 18 years of age; universal
Georgia: 18 years of age; universal
Germany: 18 years of age; universal
Ghana: 18 years of age; universal
Gibraltar: 18 years of age; universal, plus other UK subjects who have been residents six months or more
Greece: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Greenland: 18 years of age; universal
Grenada: 18 years of age; universal
Guadeloupe: 18 years of age; universal
Guam: 18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Guatemala: 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote)
Guernsey: 18 years of age; universal
Guinea: 18 years of age; universal
Guinea-Bissau: 18 years of age; universal
Guyana: 18 years of age; universal
Haiti: 18 years of age; universal
Holy See (Vatican City): limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Honduras: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Hong Kong: direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Hungary: 18 years of age; universal
Iceland: 18 years of age; universal
India: 18 years of age; universal
Indonesia: 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
Iran: 15 years of age; universal
Iraq: 18 years of age; universal
Ireland: 18 years of age; universal
Israel: 18 years of age; universal
Italy: 18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)
Jamaica: 18 years of age; universal
Japan: 20 years of age; universal
Jersey: NA years of age; universal adult
Jordan: 20 years of age; universal
Kazakhstan: 18 years of age; universal
Kenya: 18 years of age; universal
Kiribati: 18 years of age; universal
Korea, North: 17 years of age; universal
Korea, South: 20 years of age; universal
Kuwait: adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or more or have resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21

note:  only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996, naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but have been naturalized for 30 years were eligible to vote for the first time
Kyrgyzstan: 18 years of age; universal
Laos: 18 years of age; universal
Latvia: 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
Lebanon: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
Lesotho: 18 years of age; universal
Liberia: 18 years of age; universal
Libya: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Liechtenstein: 20 years of age; universal
Lithuania: 18 years of age; universal
Luxembourg: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Macau: direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently registered) and a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of: 18 years of age; universal
Madagascar: 18 years of age; universal
Malawi: 18 years of age; universal
Malaysia: 21 years of age; universal
Maldives: 21 years of age; universal
Mali: 21 years of age; universal
Malta: 18 years of age; universal
Man, Isle of: 18 years of age; universal
Marshall Islands: 18 years of age; universal
Martinique: 18 years of age; universal
Mauritania: 18 years of age; universal
Mauritius: 18 years of age; universal
Mayotte: 18 years of age; universal
Mexico: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)
Micronesia, Federated States of: 18 years of age; universal
Moldova: 18 years of age; universal
Monaco: 21 years of age; universal
Mongolia: 18 years of age; universal
Montserrat: 18 years of age; universal
Morocco: 21 years of age; universal
Mozambique: 18 years of age; universal
Namibia: 18 years of age; universal
Nauru: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Nepal: 18 years of age; universal
Netherlands: 18 years of age; universal
Netherlands Antilles: 18 years of age; universal
New Caledonia: 18 years of age; universal
New Zealand: 18 years of age; universal
Nicaragua: 16 years of age; universal
Niger: 18 years of age; universal
Nigeria: 18 years of age; universal
Niue: 18 years of age; universal
Norfolk Island: 18 years of age; universal
Northern Mariana Islands: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Norway: 18 years of age; universal
Oman: in Oman's most recent elections in 2000, limited to approximately 175,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections for the Majlis ash-Shura
Pakistan: 21 years of age; universal; separate electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for non-Muslims
Palau: 18 years of age; universal
Panama: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Papua New Guinea: 18 years of age; universal
Paraguay: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75
Peru: 18 years of age; universal
Philippines: 18 years of age; universal
Pitcairn Islands: 18 years of age; universal with three years residency
Poland: 18 years of age; universal
Portugal: 18 years of age; universal
Puerto Rico: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Qatar: suffrage is limited to municipal elections
Reunion: 18 years of age; universal
Romania: 18 years of age; universal
Russia: 18 years of age; universal
Rwanda: 18 years of age; universal adult
Saint Helena: NA years of age
Saint Kitts and Nevis: 18 years of age; universal
Saint Lucia: 18 years of age; universal
Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 18 years of age; universal
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 18 years of age; universal
Samoa: 21 years of age; universal
San Marino: 18 years of age; universal
Sao Tome and Principe: 18 years of age; universal
Saudi Arabia: none
Senegal: 18 years of age; universal
Seychelles: 17 years of age; universal
Sierra Leone: 18 years of age; universal
Singapore: 21 years of age; universal and compulsory
Slovakia: 18 years of age; universal
Slovenia: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)
Solomon Islands: 21 years of age; universal
Somalia: 18 years of age; universal
South Africa: 18 years of age; universal
Spain: 18 years of age; universal
Sri Lanka: 18 years of age; universal
Sudan: 17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory
Suriname: 18 years of age; universal
Swaziland: 18 years of age
Sweden: 18 years of age; universal
Switzerland: 18 years of age; universal
Syria: 18 years of age; universal
Tajikistan: 18 years of age; universal
Tanzania: 18 years of age; universal
Thailand: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Togo: NA years of age; universal adult
Tokelau: 21 years of age; universal
Tonga: 21 years of age; universal
Trinidad and Tobago: 18 years of age; universal
Tunisia: 20 years of age; universal
Turkey: 18 years of age; universal
Turkmenistan: 18 years of age; universal
Turks and Caicos Islands: 18 years of age; universal
Tuvalu: 18 years of age; universal
Uganda: 18 years of age; universal
Ukraine: 18 years of age; universal
United Arab Emirates: none
United Kingdom: 18 years of age; universal
United States: 18 years of age; universal
Uruguay: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Uzbekistan: 18 years of age; universal
Vanuatu: 18 years of age; universal
Venezuela: 18 years of age; universal
Vietnam: 18 years of age; universal
Virgin Islands: 18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Wallis and Futuna: 18 years of age; universal
Western Sahara: none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign has yet to be completed
Yemen: 18 years of age; universal
Yugoslavia: 16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal
Zambia: 18 years of age; universal
Zimbabwe: 18 years of age; universal
Taiwan: 20 years of age; universal