In 2008, 57.5% of voting-age Americans cast ballots in the presidential election, a figure that looked good only compared with the four decades that preceded it. An even smaller portion is expected at the polls for today’s election.
But voter turnout for presidential elections is better in quite a lot of the world. Here are 58 countries that had better turnouts—the percentage of voting-age population that voted—than the US in their most recent presidential elections, as compiled by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Granted, in some of these countries, such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, electoral data are dubious at best; others, such as Uruguay, enforce compulsory voting. And in countries with a recent memory of dictatorship or civil war, such as Rwanda, people are bound to care about their vote. Even so, it’s interesting to see some of the countries—such as Iran, Nicaragua, and Ukraine—that take their civic duty considerably more seriously than America does.
- Uruguay (96.1% in 2009)
- Ecuador (90.8% in 2009)
- Uzbekistan (89.8% in 2007)
- Rwanda (89.2% in 2010)
- Angola (87.5% in 1992)
- Turkmenistan (87.0% in 2012)
- Peru (86.2% in 2011)
- Bolivia (85.6% in 2009)
- Tunisia (85.2% in 2009)
- Equatorial Guinea (83.0% in 2009)
- Belarus (81.7% in 2010)
- Tajikistan (80.8% in 2006)
- Venezuela (78.9% in 2012)
- Cyprus (78.8% in 2008)
- Argentina (77.4% in 2011)
- Brazil (77.3% in 2010)
- Armenia (77.2% in 2008)
- East Timor (76.3% in 2012)
- Iran (75.5% in 2009)
- Philippines (75.1% in 2004)
- Indonesia (74.8% in 2004)
- Taiwan (74.3% in 2012)
- Malawi (73.9% in 2009)
- Gambia (73.5% in 2011)
- Kazakhstan (72.7% in 2011)
- Congo-Brazzaville (72.6% in 2009)
- El Salvador (72.4% in 2009)
- Nicaragua (71.8% in 2011)
- Sao Tome and Principe (71.3% in 2011)
- France (71.2% in 2012)
- Sri Lanka (70.9% in 2010)
- Dominican Republic (70.2% in 2012)
- Ghana (69.8% in 2008)
- Maldives (69.3% in 2008)
- Panama (69.0% in 2009)
- Iceland (68.9% in 2012)
- Benin (68.4% in 2011)
- Ukraine (67.9% in 2010)
- Namibia (67.6% in 2009)
- Palau (67.6% in 2008)
- Finland (67.5% in 2012)
- Azerbaijan (66.9% in 2008)
- Algeria (65.9% in 2009)
- Croatia (65.2% in 2010)
- Mexico (64.6% in 2012)
- Republic of Korea (64.2% in 2007)
- Montenegro (63.5% in 2008)
- Russia (63.4% in 2012)
- Costa Rica (62.3% in 2010)
- Sierra Leone (62.0% in 2007)
- Guatemala (61.4% in 2011)
- Togo (61.3% in 2010)
- Slovenia (61.3% in 2007)
- Romania (59.2% in 2009)
- Chile (59.1% in 2010)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (58.8% in 2010)
- Burundi (58.7% in 2010)
- Chad (57.9% in 2011)