Direct Democracy Database

Legal provisions for mandatory referendums at national level

Theme General
Description Legal provisions for a vote of the electorate which is required under circumstances defined in the constitution or in legislation. Also known as an obligatory referendum.

Breakdown by continent

Continent No Yes Other No data Countries researched
Africa 15
(30.0%)
35
(70.0%)
0
(0.0%)
0
(0.0%)
50
Americas 18
(47.4%)
20
(52.6%)
0
(0.0%)
0
(0.0%)
38
Asia 29
(61.7%)
18
(38.3%)
0
(0.0%)
0
(0.0%)
47
Europe 18
(41.9%)
25
(58.1%)
0
(0.0%)
0
(0.0%)
43
Oceania 4
(26.7%)
11
(73.3%)
0
(0.0%)
0
(0.0%)
15
Other 0
(0%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
0
(0%)
0
Total 84 109 0 0 193

Country Answers

Country Year Value (Text) Details
Afghanistan 2014 No
Albania 2022 No
Algeria 2013 Yes
Andorra 2014 Yes
Angola 2014 No
Anguilla 2014 No
Antigua and Barbuda 2014 Yes
Argentina 2014 No
Armenia 2022 Yes
Australia 2015 Yes
Austria 2014 Yes
Azerbaijan 2014 Yes
Bahamas 2014 Yes
Bahrain 2013 No
Bangladesh 2014 No
Barbados 2014 No
Belarus 2014 Yes
Belgium 2014 No
Belize 2014 Yes
Benin 2014 Yes
Bermuda 2013 No
Bhutan 2013 No
Bolivia 2014 Yes
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022 No
Botswana 2014 Yes
Brazil 2013 No
Brunei Darussalam 2014 No
Bulgaria 2022 No
Burkina Faso 2014 Yes
Burundi 2014 No
Cabo Verde 2013 No
Cambodia 2014 No
Cameroon 2013 No
Canada 2013 No
Cayman Islands 2014 No
Central African Republic 2014 Yes
Chad 2014 Yes
Chile 2022 No
China 2014 No
Colombia 2017 No
Congo, Democratic Republic of 2013 Yes
Cook Islands 2014 Yes
Costa Rica 2014 No
Croatia 2013 Yes
Cyprus 2014 No
Cyprus (North) 2017 No
Czechia 2014 No
Côte d'Ivoire 2014 Yes
Denmark 2018 Yes
Dominica 2014 Yes
Dominican Republic 2013 Yes
Ecuador 2014 Yes
Egypt 2014 Yes
El Salvador 2014 Yes
Equatorial Guinea 2013 No
Eritrea 2014 No
Estonia 2013 Yes
Eswatini 2013 Yes
Ethiopia 2013 Yes
Fiji 2014 Yes
Finland 2013 No
France 2013 Yes
Gabon 2013 Yes
Georgia 2014 No
Germany 2022 No
Ghana 2013 Yes
Gibraltar 2017 Yes
Greece 2013 No
Greenland 2017 Yes
Grenada 2013 Yes
Guatemala 2013 Yes
Guyana 2014 No
Haiti 2014 No
Honduras 2014 No
Hungary 2014 Yes
India 2014 No
Indonesia 2014 No
Iran, Islamic Republic of 2013 Yes
Iraq 2013 Yes
Ireland 2022 Yes
Israel 2014 No
Italy 2014 No
Jamaica 2014 Yes
Japan 2014 Yes
Jordan 2014 No
Kazakhstan 2013 No
Kenya 2022 Yes
Kiribati 2013 Yes
Korea, Republic of 2013 Yes
Kuwait 2014 No
Kyrgyzstan 2013 No
Lao People's Dem. Republic 2017 No
Latvia 2013 Yes
Lebanon 2014 No
Lesotho 2014 Yes
Liberia 2014 Yes
Libya 2014 Yes
Liechtenstein 2017 Yes
Lithuania 2013 Yes
Luxembourg 2017 No
Madagascar 2013 Yes
Malawi 2013 Yes
Malaysia 2014 No
Maldives 2013 Yes
Mali 2013 Yes
Malta 2017 Yes
Marshall Islands 2017 Yes
Mauritania 2013 Yes
Mauritius 2013 Yes
Mexico 2017 No
Micronesia, Federated States of 2017 Yes
Moldova, Republic of 2014 Yes
Mongolia 2013 No
Montenegro 2014 Yes
Montserrat 2014 No
Morocco 2014 Yes
Mozambique 2013 No
Myanmar 2013 Yes
Namibia 2013 No
Nauru 2014 Yes
Nepal 2013 No
Netherlands 2018 No
New Zealand 2014 No
Nicaragua 2013 No
Niger 2013 Yes
Nigeria 2014 Yes
Niue 2014 Yes
North Macedonia, Republic of 2017 Yes
Norway 2014 No
Oman 2014 No
Pakistan 2013 No
Palau 2014 Yes
Panama 2014 Yes
Papua New Guinea 2014 No
Paraguay 2014 Yes
Peru 2014 Yes
Philippines 2014 Yes
Poland 2014 No
Portugal 2018 Yes
Qatar 2014 No
Republic of The Congo (Brazzaville) 2013 Yes
Romania 2014 Yes
Russian Federation 2017 No
Rwanda 2013 Yes
Saint Kitts and Nevis 2013 Yes
Saint Lucia 2013 Yes
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2013 Yes
Samoa 2013 Yes
Saudi Arabia 2014 No
Senegal 2014 No
Serbia 2021 Yes
Seychelles 2013 Yes
Sierra Leone 2013 Yes
Singapore 2014 Yes
Slovakia 2013 Yes
Slovenia 2013 No
Somalia 2013 Yes
South Africa 2013 No
South Sudan 2013 No
Spain 2013 Yes
Sri Lanka 2013 Yes
State of Palestine 2014 No
Sudan 2013 No
Suriname 2017 No
Sweden 2013 No
Switzerland 2014 Yes
Syrian Arab Republic 2014 No
São Tomé and Príncipe 2013 No
Taiwan 2018 Yes
Tajikistan 2013 Yes
Tanzania, United Republic of 2014 Yes
Thailand 2017 Yes
The Gambia 2014 Yes
Timor-Leste 2014 No
Togo 2014 Yes
Tonga 2014 No
Tunisia 2014 No
Turkey 2013 Yes
Turkmenistan 2013 Yes
Tuvalu 2014 No
Uganda 2014 Yes
Ukraine 2013 Yes
United Arab Emirates 2014 No
United Kingdom 2015 Yes
United States 2014 No
Uruguay 2014 Yes
Uzbekistan 2013 Yes
Vanuatu 2013 Yes
Venezuela 2014 Yes
Viet Nam 2014 No
Yemen 2013 Yes
Zambia 2013 Yes
Zimbabwe 2014 No
Total number of countries in selected sample: 193
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