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How Old Is Each Country's Constitution?

The year each country's current constitution was adopted. A constitution that has been amended keeps its original year; a new one replaces the old.

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Before 1901 (7)1901 to 1950 (12)1951 to 1980 (14)1981 to 1999 (28)2000 or later (16)77 of 77 countries by 2022
18001850190019502000United States: 1789United States1789Norway: 1814Norway1814Netherlands: 1815Netherlands1815Belgium: 1831Belgium1831Argentina: 1853Argentina1853Canada: 1867Canada1867Luxembourg: 1868Luxembourg1868Australia: 1901Australia1901Austria: 1920Austria1920Latvia: 1922Latvia1922Ireland: 1937Ireland1937Iceland: 1944Iceland1944Indonesia: 1945Indonesia1945Japan: 1947Japan1947Taiwan: 1947Taiwan1947Italy: 1948Italy1948Costa Rica: 1949Costa Rica1949Germany: 1949Germany1949India: 1950India1950Denmark: 1953Denmark1953Malaysia: 1957Malaysia1957France: 1958France1958Uruguay: 1967Uruguay1967Bangladesh: 1972Bangladesh1972Pakistan: 1973Pakistan1973Sweden: 1974Sweden1974Greece: 1975Greece1975Portugal: 1976Portugal1976Tanzania: 1977Tanzania1977Spain: 1978Spain1978Sri Lanka: 1978Sri Lanka1978Iran: 1979Iran1979Chile: 1980Chile1980China: 1982China1982Turkey: 1982Turkey1982Philippines: 1987Philippines1987South Korea: 1987South Korea1987Brazil: 1988Brazil1988Croatia: 1990Croatia1990Bulgaria: 1991Bulgaria1991Colombia: 1991Colombia1991Romania: 1991Romania1991Slovenia: 1991Slovenia1991Estonia: 1992Estonia1992Ghana: 1992Ghana1992Lithuania: 1992Lithuania1992Slovakia: 1992Slovakia1992Czechia: 1993Czechia1993Peru: 1993Peru1993Russia: 1993Russia1993Armenia: 1995Armenia1995Bosnia and Herzegovina: 1995Bosnia and Herzegovina1995Ethiopia: 1995Ethiopia1995Georgia: 1995Georgia1995Uganda: 1995Uganda1995South Africa: 1996South Africa1996Ukraine: 1996Ukraine1996Poland: 1997Poland1997Nigeria: 1999Nigeria1999Switzerland: 1999Switzerland1999Venezuela: 1999Venezuela1999Finland: 2000Finland2000Senegal: 2001Senegal2001Serbia: 2006Serbia2006Ecuador: 2008Ecuador2008Bolivia: 2009Bolivia2009Kenya: 2010Kenya2010Hungary: 2011Hungary2011Morocco: 2011Morocco2011Vietnam: 2013Vietnam2013Zimbabwe: 2013Zimbabwe2013Egypt: 2014Egypt2014Nepal: 2015Nepal2015Côte d'Ivoire: 2016Côte d'Ivoire2016Thailand: 2017Thailand2017Cuba: 2019Cuba2019Tunisia: 2022Tunisia2022

United States1789

The oldest written national constitution still in force.

Countries without a single written constitution, such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Israel, are not shown. Where a country adopted a new constitution, the year of the latest one is used.

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These charts show a single number for each country, from our own knowledge: the year something first happened, or the time the law sets for it. Where a rule differs by region, by type of case or by group of people, the note says so. Rules are reformed from time to time, so check the current law. It is general information, not legal advice.

The same numbers, as a table

CountryYearNote
Argentina1853Reformed several times, most recently in 1994.
Armenia1995
Australia1901
Austria1920Restored in 1945.
Bangladesh1972
Belgium1831
Bolivia2009
Bosnia and Herzegovina1995Annex 4 of the Dayton Agreement.
Brazil1988
Bulgaria1991
Canada1867The Constitution Act 1867, with the Constitution Act 1982.
Chile1980Reformed substantially in 2005.
China1982
Colombia1991
Costa Rica1949
Côte d'Ivoire2016
Croatia1990
Cuba2019
Czechia1993In force from 1993, as the Czech Republic became independent.
Denmark1953
Ecuador2008
Egypt2014
Estonia1992
Ethiopia1995
Finland2000
France1958The Fifth Republic.
Georgia1995
Germany1949The Basic Law, which also applies to the reunited country since 1990.
Ghana1992
Greece1975
Hungary2011The Fundamental Law, in force from 2012.
Iceland1944
India1950
Indonesia1945Amended four times between 1999 and 2002.
Iran1979
Ireland1937
Italy1948
Japan1947
Kenya2010
Latvia1922Restored in 1991.
Lithuania1992
Luxembourg1868
Malaysia1957
Morocco2011
Nepal2015
Netherlands1815
Nigeria1999
Norway1814
Pakistan1973
Peru1993
Philippines1987
Poland1997
Portugal1976
Romania1991
Russia1993
Senegal2001
Serbia2006
Slovakia1992
Slovenia1991
South Africa1996
South Korea1987
Spain1978
Sri Lanka1978
Sweden1974The Instrument of Government.
Switzerland1999A total revision of the constitution of 1874.
Taiwan1947
Tanzania1977
Thailand2017
Tunisia2022
Turkey1982
Uganda1995
Ukraine1996
United States1789The oldest written national constitution still in force.
Uruguay1967
Venezuela1999
Vietnam2013
Zimbabwe2013

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TheLawToKnow Tools. How Old Is Each Country's Constitution?. https://tools.thelawtoknow.com/constitutions/how-old-is-each-countrys-constitution.