How old is the constitution?
The oldest constitutions still in force are from the nineteenth century or earlier; many of today's countries are governed by a constitution written in the last generation, often after a regime fell. Colour shows when the present document was adopted, not when it was last amended. New constitutions are written every few years, which is why we recheck this map every year.
Updated November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
When was the country's current constitution adopted?
Adopted before 1946 (16)
1946-1979 (50)
1980-1999 (71)
2000-2014 (29)
2015 or later (17)
No single written document (4)
Read this before you quote the map
- 'Adopted' means the date of the present constitution. Countries whose constitution is suspended, replaced by a transitional charter, or in effect in name only (for example Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan, Syria, South Sudan, Myanmar, Burkina Faso, Niger and Eritrea) are left grey.
- A country that replaced its constitution by revising it extensively can be counted either way; we use the date that the country itself gives to the current text.
- Several African states adopted new constitutions in 2023-2025. We recheck this map every year.
- Only countries we are sure about are coloured.
Sources
Cite this map
TheLawToKnow Tools. Legal World Maps: How old is the constitution?. https://tools.thelawtoknow.com/legal-world-maps/age-of-the-constitution. Checked November 2026.
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