Democracy, One Way or Another

Last year, 70 countries held national elections, most of which were unmarred by allegations of Viagra-for-vote trading (Brazil) or dioxin poisoning (Ukraine). Here’s some stats on the state of global democracy.

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-- Compiled by Brendan Buhler

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119 -- Electoral democracies, governing 62% of the world’s population

1.1 billion -- Votes cast in presidential or legislative elections worldwide last year; also the population of India, the world’s largest democracy

11,000 -- Population of Tuvalu, the world’s smallest democracy; also the number of election complaints eventual Ukrainian presidential winner Viktor Yushchenko said he was prepared to file with courts last November

1,961,456 -- Indians represented by one Indian legislator

762 -- Tuvaluans represented by one Tuvaluan legislator

15 -- Youngest voting age (Iran)

21 -- Oldest voting age (14 countries, including Fiji, Monaco and Lebanon)

51% -- Eligible voters who turned out in last year’s Iranian elections, the lowest since the 1979 revolution

56% -- Eligible voters who turned out in 2004 U.S. presidential election

10% -- Percentage of population eligible to vote in Kuwait, where only native adult males or those who have been naturalized for 30-plus years, those who have lived there since before 1920 or male descendants of either can vote

25 -- Countries with mandatory suffrage (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Honduras, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Mexico, Nauru, Paraguay, Peru, Singapore, Thailand and Uruguay) [CIA World Factbook]

Worst penalty for not voting -- Can’t pick up your paycheck at the bank for three months (Bolivia)