International Differences
| Country | Compulsory | № | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malta | N | 6 | 94% |
| Chile | N | 2 | 93%† |
| Austria | N | 9 | 92% |
| Belgium | Y | 12 | 91% |
| Italy | Y (not enforced) | 9 | 90% |
| Luxembourg | Y | 7 | 90% |
| Iceland | N | 10 | 89% |
| New Zealand | N | 12 | 88% |
| Denmark | N | 14 | 87% |
| Germany | N | 9 | 86% |
| Sweden | N | 14 | 86% |
| Greece | Y (not enforced) | 10 | 86% |
| Venezuela | N* | 7 | 85% |
| Czech Republic | N | 2 | 85% |
| Argentina | Y | 12 | 83% |
| Brazil | Y | 9 | 83% |
| Netherlands | N** | 7 | 83% |
| Australia | Y | 14 | 81% |
| Costa Rica | N | 8 | 81% |
| Norway | N | 9 | 81% |
| Romania | N | 2 | 81% |
| Bulgaria | N | 2 | 80% |
| Israel | N | 9 | 80% |
| Portugal | N | 9 | 79% |
| Finland | N | 10 | 78% |
| France | N | 9 | 76% |
| United Kingdom | N | 9 | 76% |
| South Korea | N | 11 | 75% |
| Ireland | N | 11 | 74% |
| Canada | N | 12 | 74% |
| Spain | N | 6 | 73% |
| Japan | N | 12 | 71% |
| Estonia | N | 2 | 69% |
| Hungary | N | 2 | 66% |
| Russia | N | 2 | 61% |
| India | N | 6 | 58% |
| Switzerland | N | 8 | 54% |
| Poland | N | 2 | 51% |
| United States | N | 18 | 48%*** |
Voter turnout varies considerably between countries. It tends to be lower in the United States, Asia and Latin America than most of Europe, Canada and Oceania. Western Europe averages a 77% turnout, and South and Central America around 54% since 1945. The differences between nations tend to be greater than those between classes, ethnic groups, or regions within nations. Confusingly, some of the factors that cause internal differences do not seem to apply on a global level. For instance, nations with better-educated populaces do not have higher turnouts. There are two main causes of these international differences—culture and institutions—although there is much debate over the relative impact of the various factors.
Read more about this topic: Voter Turnout
Famous quotes containing the word differences:
“I may be able to spot arrowheads on the desert but a refrigerator is a jungle in which I am easily lost. My wife, however, will unerringly point out that the cheese or the leftover roast is hiding right in front of my eyes. Hundreds of such experiences convince me that men and women often inhabit quite different visual worlds. These are differences which cannot be attributed to variations in visual acuity. Man and women simply have learned to use their eyes in very different ways.”
—Edward T. Hall (b. 1914)