{"id":22972,"date":"2026-06-17T02:59:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T02:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youragecalculator.com\/blog\/?p=22972"},"modified":"2026-06-17T02:59:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T02:59:26","slug":"voting-age-by-country-how-old-you-need-to-be-to-vote-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youragecalculator.com\/blog\/voting-age-by-country-how-old-you-need-to-be-to-vote-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Voting Age by Country: How Old You Need to Be to Vote Around the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Voting is one of the most fundamental rights in a democracy, but the minimum age to cast a ballot varies significantly from one country to another. While 18 is the most common voting age worldwide, several nations have different thresholds\u2014and a few have recently lowered theirs. Whether you are a young voter checking eligibility or a researcher comparing electoral systems, understanding voting age requirements is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you or someone you know is approaching voting age, use our Voting Age Calculator<\/a> to quickly determine eligibility based on birth date and location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Voting Ages Around the World<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here is a breakdown of voting ages by country, showing the range from the lowest to the highest:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Voting Age<\/th>Countries<\/th>Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
16<\/strong><\/td>Austria, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Ecuador, Malta, Nicaragua<\/td>Often paired with compulsory voting in some countries<\/td><\/tr>\n
17<\/strong><\/td>East Timor, Greece, Indonesia, Sudan<\/td>17 is the minimum; citizens gain eligibility at 17<\/td><\/tr>\n
18<\/strong><\/td>United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, India, and 150+ others<\/td>Most common voting age worldwide<\/td><\/tr>\n
19<\/strong><\/td>South Korea<\/td>Lowered from 20 to 19 in 2019<\/td><\/tr>\n
20<\/strong><\/td>Japan, New Zealand (local elections only in NZ at 18 for national)<\/td>Japan lowered from 20 to 18 in 2016; local elections may differ<\/td><\/tr>\n
21<\/strong><\/td>United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Singapore, Malaysia, Bahrain<\/td>Several Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Voting Age Is Determined<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Countries base their voting age on a combination of factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n