UK to lower voting age to 16 in landmark move to boost participation

The British government announced Thursday it will lower the national voting age from 18 to 16, marking the most significant overhaul to the country’s democratic system in more than half a century. The change will come into effect before the next general election, scheduled by 2029, pending parliamentary approval.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose Labour Party swept to power in 2024 on a platform promising democratic renewal, called the move “a matter of fairness.”

“I think it’s really important that 16- and 17-year-olds have the vote, because they are old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes,” Starmer said. “If you pay in, you should have the opportunity to say what you want your money spent on.”

Britain will now join a small group of countries — including Austria, Brazil, and Ecuador — that allow 16-year-olds to vote in national elections. While Scotland and Wales already permit voting at 16 in regional polls, this will be the first time teenagers can vote in UK-wide general elections.

Countries allowing 16-year-olds to vote in national elections:

European countries allowing 16-year-olds to vote in some elections:

Countries where voting age remains 18 for all elections:

The measure is part of a broader package of electoral reforms intended to address what ministers have described as a “crisis of democracy.” Voter turnout at the 2024 general election was just 59.7%, the lowest in more than two decades, and recent rules requiring photo identification were found to have prevented some 750,000 people from casting ballots, according to the Electoral Commission.

The Labour government’s new proposals also include:

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner called the reforms “long overdue,” stating: “For too long, public trust in our democracy has been damaged. We are taking action to break down barriers to participation and ensure more people can engage in British democracy.”

However, the voting age reduction has also drawn criticism, with some opponents alleging it is a self-serving political move that could benefit Labour, as younger voters tend to lean left. Starmer and his ministers, however, insist the reforms are about modernising an outdated system and empowering the next generation.

Harry Quilter-Pinner, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, welcomed the changes as “the biggest reform to our electoral system since 1969,” when the voting age was previously lowered from 21 to 18. He estimated the reforms could bring up to 9.5 million additional voters onto the electoral rolls.

Still, experts caution that lowering the voting age alone may not lead to significantly higher turnout among young people. Stuart Fox, a politics lecturer at the University of Exeter who studies youth engagement, said complementary initiatives such as strengthening citizenship education and expanding school-based civic programs could be more effective in the long term.

The legislation to lower the voting age and enact the related changes is expected to pass easily through Parliament, where Labour commands a strong majority.

- with inputs from AP and AFP