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List of national constitutions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a list of national constitutions by country, semi-recognized countries, and by codification.

Codified constitutions (most recent, in use today)

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A codified constitution is a constitution that is contained in a single document, which is the single source of constitutional law in a state. An uncodified constitution is one that is not contained in a single document, but consists of several different sources, which may be written or unwritten.

Sovereign states (UN member and observer states)

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State Date ratified Word count[1]
Afghanistan None (see Constitution of Afghanistan) August 15, 2021 —
Albania Constitution of Albania November 28, 1998 13,826
Algeria Constitution of Algeria December 8, 1996 10,038
Andorra Constitution of Andorra February 2, 1993 8,740
Angola Constitution of Angola January 21, 2010 27,181
Antigua and Barbuda Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda October 31, 1981 38,464
Argentina Constitution of Argentina May 1, 1853 12,514
Armenia Constitution of Armenia July 5, 1995 13,786
Australia Constitution of Australia January 1, 1901 17,318
Austria Constitution of Austria October 1, 1920 41,366
Azerbaijan Constitution of Azerbaijan November 12, 1995 17,354
The Bahamas Constitution of the Bahamas 1973 41,835
Bahrain Constitution of Bahrain February 14, 2002 10,806
Bangladesh Constitution of Bangladesh November 4, 1972 27,643
Barbados Constitution of Barbados November 30, 1966 34,144
Belarus Constitution of Belarus March 15, 1994 13,278
Belgium Constitution of Belgium February 7, 1831 16,119
Belize Constitution of Belize September 21, 1981 39,629
Benin Constitution of Benin December 2, 1990 11,386
Bhutan Constitution of Bhutan July 18, 2008 13,632
Bolivia Constitution of Bolivia February 7, 2009 39,375
Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina December 14, 1995 5,454
Botswana Constitution of Botswana September 30, 1966 30,713
Brazil Constitution of Brazil October 5, 1988 64,488
Brunei Constitution of Brunei 1959 13,869
Bulgaria Constitution of Bulgaria July 12, 1991 13,641
Burkina Faso Constitution of Burkina Faso June 11, 1991 10,030
Myanmar Constitution of Myanmar May 29, 2008 40,492
Burundi Constitution of Burundi March 9, 1992 17,574
Cambodia Constitution of Cambodia 1993 8,936
Cameroon Constitution of Cameroon January 18, 1996 8,444
Cape Verde Constitution of Cape Verde 1992 32,132
Central African Republic Constitution of the Central African Republic March 27, 2016 9,767
Chad Constitution of Chad March 31, 1996 11,768
Chile Constitution of Chile September 11, 1980 25,821
China Constitution of the People's Republic of China December 4, 1982 10,960
Colombia Constitution of Colombia July 4, 1991 46,902
Comoros Constitution of the Comoros December 23, 2001 6,185
Republic of the Congo Constitution of the Republic of the Congo 2001 9,970
Democratic Republic of the Congo Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo February 18, 2006 19,285
Costa Rica Constitution of Costa Rica November 7, 1949 16,705
Croatia Constitution of Croatia December 22, 1990 10,898
Cuba Constitution of Cuba April 10, 2019 12,893
Cyprus Constitution of Cyprus August 16, 1960 37,006
Czech Republic Constitution of the Czech Republic December 16, 1992 14,580
Denmark Constitution of Denmark May 25, 1849 6,221
Djibouti Constitution of Djibouti September 15, 1992 6,666
Dominica Constitution of Dominica 1978 36,080
Dominican Republic Constitution of the Dominican Republic January 26, 2010 29,710
East Timor Constitution of East Timor May 20, 2002 15,307
Ecuador Constitution of Ecuador October 20, 2008 54,555
Egypt Constitution of Egypt January 18, 2014 22,626
El Salvador Constitution of El Salvador December 20, 1983 22,823
Equatorial Guinea Constitution of Equatorial Guinea November 17, 1991 5,575
Eritrea Constitution of Eritrea May 23, 1997 6,753
Estonia Constitution of Estonia June 28, 1992 11,344
Eswatini Constitution of Eswatini 2005 48,604
Ethiopia Constitution of Ethiopia August 21, 1995 13,630
Fiji Constitution of Fiji September 6, 2013 40,773
Finland Constitution of Finland March 1, 2000 12,640
France Constitution of France October 4, 1958 10,180
Gabon Constitution of Gabon 1991 11,804
The Gambia Constitution of the Gambia January 16, 1997 43,465
Georgia (country) Constitution of Georgia August 24, 1995 11,490
Germany Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany May 8, 1949 27,379
Ghana Constitution of Ghana April 28, 1992 53,985
Greece Constitution of Greece June 11, 1975 26,989
Grenada Constitution of Grenada 1991 33,737
Guatemala Constitution of Guatemala January 14, 1986 28,692
Guinea Constitution of Guinea May 7, 2010 12,707
Guinea-Bissau Constitution of Guinea-Bissau May 6, 1984 7,820
Guyana Constitution of Guyana October 6, 1980 46,221
Haiti Constitution of Haiti June 20, 2012 18,488
Honduras Constitution of Honduras January 20, 1982 23,434
Hungary Constitution of Hungary April 18, 2011 15,247
Iceland Constitution of Iceland June 17, 1944 4,089
India Constitution of India November 26, 1949 146,385
Indonesia Constitution of Indonesia August 18, 1945 5,915
Iran Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran December 3, 1979 16,179
Iraq Constitution of Iraq October 15, 2005 11,550
Republic of Ireland Constitution of Ireland December 29, 1937 16,007
Italy Constitution of Italy December 22, 1947 11,708
Ivory Coast Constitution of Ivory Coast November 8, 2016 7,897
Jamaica Constitution of Jamaica January 1, 1962 38,048
Japan Constitution of Japan[a] February 11, 1889 4,998
Jordan Constitution of Jordan January 11, 1952 10,239
Kazakhstan Constitution of Kazakhstan August 30, 1995 13,482
Kenya Constitution of Kenya August 27, 2010 48,818
Kiribati Constitution of Kiribati 1979 26,080
North Korea Constitution of North Korea December 25, 1972 7,364
South Korea Constitution of South Korea July 17, 1948 9,059
Kuwait Constitution of Kuwait November 11, 1962 8,197
Kyrgyzstan Constitution of Kyrgyzstan June 27, 2010 14,327
Laos Constitution of Laos August 14, 1991 4,820
Latvia Constitution of Latvia November 7, 1922 4,917
Lebanon Constitution of Lebanon May 23, 1926 6,296
Lesotho Constitution of Lesotho 1993 45,532
Liberia Constitution of Liberia January 6, 1986 11,667
Liechtenstein Constitution of Liechtenstein October 5, 1921 9,513
Lithuania Constitution of Lithuania October 25, 1992 12,214
Luxembourg Constitution of Luxembourg October 17, 1868 5,601
Libya Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration August 3, 2011 Not documented by source
Madagascar Constitution of Madagascar November 14, 2010 15,759
Malawi Constitution of Malawi May 16, 1994 33,422
Malaysia Constitution of Malaysia August 27, 1957 64,080
Maldives Constitution of the Maldives August 7, 2008 23,991
Mali Constitution of Mali January 12, 1992 7,503
Malta Constitution of Malta September 21, 1964 31,820
Marshall Islands Constitution of the Marshall Islands 1979 21,429
Mauritania Constitution of Mauritania July 12, 1991 6,997
Mauritius Constitution of Mauritius March 12, 1968 37,320
Mexico Constitution of Mexico February 5, 1917 57,087
Federated States of Micronesia Constitution of the Federated States of Micronesia October 1, 1978 5,271
Moldova Constitution of Moldova July 29, 1994 12,818
Monaco Constitution of Monaco December 17, 1962 3,814
Mongolia Constitution of Mongolia January 13, 1992 8,250
Montenegro Constitution of Montenegro October 19, 2007 11,572
Morocco Constitution of Morocco December 14, 1962 15,897
Mozambique Constitution of Mozambique December 21, 2004 24,171
Namibia Constitution of Namibia February 9, 1990 24,198
Nauru Constitution of Nauru January 31, 1968 13,714
Nepal Constitution of Nepal September 20, 2015 32,753
Netherlands Constitution of the Netherlands[b][2] August 24, 1815[3] 8,739
Nicaragua Constitution of Nicaragua January 1, 1987 20,535
Niger Constitution of Niger November 25, 2010 14,806
Nigeria Constitution of Nigeria May 29, 1999 66,263
North Macedonia Constitution of North Macedonia November 17, 1991 13,486
Norway Constitution of Norway May 17, 1814 7,307
Oman Basic Statute of Oman November 6, 1996[4] 7,233
Pakistan Constitution of Pakistan August 14, 1973 56,240
Palau Constitution of Palau July 9, 1980 Not documented by source
State of Palestine Palestinian National Covenant May 28, 1964 Not documented by source
Panama Constitution of Panama October 11, 1972 26,097
Papua New Guinea Constitution of Papua New Guinea September 16, 1975 58,490
Paraguay Constitution of Paraguay June 20, 1992 25,461
Peru Constitution of Peru December 31, 1993 19,216
Philippines Constitution of the Philippines February 2, 1987 21,954
Poland Constitution of Poland April 2, 1997 19,602
Portugal Constitution of Portugal April 25, 1976 35,219
Qatar Constitution of Qatar April 9, 2004 6,848
Romania Constitution of Romania November 21, 1991 14,663
Russia Constitution of Russia December 12, 1993 12,908
Rwanda Constitution of Rwanda May 26, 2003 16,940
Saint Kitts and Nevis Constitution of Saint Kitts and Nevis June 23, 1983 49,643
Saint Lucia Constitution of Saint Lucia 1978 38,271
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Constitution of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1979 Not documented by source
Samoa Constitution of Samoa October 28, 1960 19,611
São Tomé and Príncipe Constitution of São Tomé and Príncipe November 5, 1975 7,988
Saudi Arabia Basic Law of Saudi Arabia March 1, 1992 6,335
Senegal Constitution of Senegal January 1, 2001 10,866
Serbia Constitution of Serbia November 8, 2006 19,891
Seychelles Constitution of Seychelles 1993 39,729
Sierra Leone Constitution of Sierra Leone 1996 44,636
Singapore Constitution of Singapore August 9, 1965 40,076
Slovakia Constitution of Slovakia October 1, 1992 18,402
Slovenia Constitution of Slovenia December 23, 1991 11,406
Solomon Islands Constitution of Solomon Islands May 31, 1978 31,826
Somalia Constitution of Somalia August 1, 2012 19,823
South Africa Constitution of South Africa February 4, 1997 43,062
South Sudan Constitution of South Sudan July 9, 2011 27,191
Spain Constitution of Spain December 6, 1978 17,608
Sri Lanka Constitution of Sri Lanka September 7, 1978 40,085
Sudan Constitution of Sudan August 4, 2019 —
Suriname Constitution of Suriname September 30, 1987 12,488
Switzerland Swiss Federal Constitution April 18, 1999 16,484
Syria Constitution of Syria February 27, 2012 8,154
Tajikistan Constitution of Tajikistan November 6, 1994 7,917
Tanzania Constitution of Tanzania April 25, 1977 35,651
Thailand Constitution of Thailand April 6, 2017 7,683
Togo Constitution of Togo October 14, 1992 10,252
Tonga Constitution of Tonga November 4, 1875 10,192
Trinidad and Tobago Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago[5] March 29, 1976 32,567
Tunisia Constitution of Tunisia January 26, 2014 9,508
Turkey Constitution of Turkey November 7, 1982 29,727
Turkmenistan Constitution of Turkmenistan May 18, 1992 5,735
Tuvalu Constitution of Tuvalu 1986 34,801
Uganda Constitution of Uganda October 8, 1995 49,448
Ukraine Constitution of Ukraine June 28, 1996 19,299
United States Constitution of the United States June 21, 1788 7,762
United Arab Emirates Constitution of the United Arab Emirates December 2, 1971 11,557
Uruguay Constitution of Uruguay July 18, 1830 29,911
Uzbekistan Constitution of Uzbekistan December 8, 1992 7,941
Vanuatu Constitution of Vanuatu July 30, 1980 8,425
Vatican City Fundamental Law of Vatican City State November 26, 2000 Not documented by source
Venezuela Constitution of Venezuela December 20, 1999 37,344
Vietnam Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam November 28, 2013 11,344
Yemen Constitution of Yemen May 16, 1991 Not documented by source
Zambia Constitution of Zambia 2016 30,696
Zimbabwe Constitution of Zimbabwe May 9, 2013 55,883

Unrecognized and partially recognized countries

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Country Date
Abkhazia Constitution of Abkhazia October 3, 1999
Taiwan Constitution of the Republic of China December 25, 1947
(amended May 1, 1991)
Kosovo Constitution of Kosovo June 15, 2008
Northern Cyprus Constitution of Northern Cyprus May 5, 1985
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic August 1976
Somaliland Constitution of Somaliland May 31, 2001
South Ossetia Constitution of South Ossetia April 8, 2001
Transnistria Constitution of Transnistria January 17, 1996

Dependent territories

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Territory Date
American Samoa Constitution of American Samoa October 17, 1960
Aruba Constitution of Aruba January 1, 1986
British Virgin Islands Constitution of the British Virgin Islands June 15, 2007
Curaçao Constitution of Curaçao October 10, 2010
Falkland Islands Constitution of the Falkland Islands January 1, 2009
Gibraltar Constitution of Gibraltar January 2, 2007
Hong Kong Hong Kong Basic Law April 4, 1990
Macau Macau Basic Law March 31, 1993
Niue Niue Constitution Act October 19, 1974
Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Constitution January 1, 1978
Puerto Rico Constitution of Puerto Rico July 25, 1952
Sint Maarten Constitution of Sint Maarten October 10, 2010
Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands October 15, 2012

Uncodified constitutions

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An uncodified constitution is one where not all elements are written into law. Typically some elements, such as constitutional conventions, are not written into law. Such elements are almost always written down somewhere (perhaps across multiple documents and/or publications), however written in documents that are not enforceable in law. Approximate dates have been listed below based on fundamental founding documents on governance of the respective countries.

Former constitutions

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Afghanistan

Brazil

Bulgaria

China

Colombia

Cuba

Czechoslovakia

Egypt

France

Germany

Hawaii

Iran

Italy

Mexico

Poland

Portugal

Russia

South Africa

Turkey

United States

Yugoslavia

Other States

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ In 1947 the constitution was almost entirely rewritten.
  2. ^ In 1983 the constitution was almost entirely rewritten.

References

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Wikisource has original works on the topic: Constitutional documents
  1. ^ "Constitution Rankings". Comparative Constitutions Project. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  2. ^ Subordinated to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
  3. ^ "Grondwet - Militair Rechtelijk Tijdschrift". puc.overheid.nl. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  4. ^ "Basic Statute of the State" (PDF). Royal Decree 101/96. Ministry of Legal Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Act" (PDF). Organization of American States. December 31, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  6. ^ "Oldest Constitutions Still Being Used Today". WorldAtlas. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
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