Country
|
Suffrage
|
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
|
18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections
|
Azerbaijan
|
18 years of age; universal
|
Bahamas, The
|
18 years of age; universal
|
Bahrain
|
18 years of age; universal
|
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
|
18 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
|
East Timor
|
17 years of age; universal
|
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 and are restricted to their barracks on election day)
|
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
|
18 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
|
18 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
|
Serbia and Montenegro
|
16 years of age, if employed; 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
|
Taiwan
|
20 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 not yet completed
|
Yemen
|
18 years of age; universal
|
Zambia
|
18 years of age; universal
|
Zimbabwe
|
18 years of age; universal
|