# Independence referendum

An independence referendum is a type of referendum in which the residents of a territory decide whether the territory should become an independent sovereign state. An independence referendum that results in a vote for independence does not always ultimately result in independence.

## Procedure

An independence referendum typically arises first after political success for nationalists of a territory. This could come in the election of politicians or parties with separatist policies, or from pressure from nationalist organisations.

### Negotiations

Negotiations for the terms of an independence referendum may take place between the nationalists and the government which exercises sovereignty over the territory. If terms can be agreed, then the independence referendum can be held with its result binding, and respected by the international community. Independence referendums can be held without the consent of a national or the federal governments, then the international community will rely on several other factors, e.g. were the local people oppressed by the central government or not, to decide if the result can be recognized or not.
Various issues can be discussed in negotiations, such as the date and timing of the poll, as well as voter eligibility. For these instances, common electoral practice is often widely used, although there can be deviations, as seen with the lowering of the voting age for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Other issues to be negotiated include what question or questions should be on the ballot, and what the voting options could be. Independence referendums can offer options of greater autonomy as well as, or instead of, the status quo. They can also put forward other constitutional questions to ballot. The questions that referendums ask may be revised if parties involved in negotiations consider them to be too leading.
Negotiations notably need to address what would make a result binding. For some independence referendums, a simple majority is required for one option. In other cases, a quota can be used, where a certain percentage of the vote or the electorate needs to be in favour of an option for it to be binding.
Successful negotiations can be hard to achieve for nationalists, as governments can be reluctant to give up sovereignty. For example, nationalists planned to hold a referendum in Catalonia in 2014, but met opposition from the Spanish government. As a result, the referendum that went ahead was unofficial and non-binding.

### Aftermath

In the event of a vote for independence, there may be negotiations on the terms of secession for the territory from the sovereign state. A declaration of independence for a new state is then made, and international recognition can follow, as well as membership of international organisations such as the United Nations. In cases involving non-binding referendums, this can lead to a unilateral declaration of independence, and therefore partially recognised or self-proclaimed states, like the Donbas status referendums.
In the event of a vote against independence, there may still be a strong nationalist movement and calls for there to be a rerun of the independence referendum. For example, after two referendums in Quebec, the Parti Québécois has continued to raise the prospect of holding another referendum, and the Scottish National Party has said that there should be a repeat of the 2014 referendum now that the United Kingdom has left the European Union.

## List of independence referendums

| Proposed state | Year | Proposed independence from | Majority for independence | Independence | Recognition of result | Notes |
| Chile | 1817 | Spain | Yes | Yes | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
| Liberia | 1846 | American Colonization Society | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Republic of Maryland | 1853 | Maryland State Colonization Society | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Norway | 1905 | Sweden–Norway | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Iceland | 1918 | Denmark | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Western Australia | 1933 | Australia | Yes | No | No | |
| Cambodia | 1945 | France | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Mongolia | 1945 | China | Yes | Yes | Yes | Initially recognized by the Republic of China, but recognition was abolished in 1953; recognized by the People's Republic of China. |
| Faroe Islands | 1946 | Denmark | Yes | No | No | Independence declaration annulled by Denmark. |
| Newfoundland | 1948 | United Kingdom | No | No | Yes | Integrated with Canada. |
| Nagaland | 1951 | India | Yes | No | No | Unrecognized by the government of India. |
| Saar | 1955 | France | No | No | Yes | Integrated with West Germany. |
| Cameroon | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Central African Republic | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Chad | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Comoros | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Congo | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Dahomey | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Djibouti | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| French Polynesia | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Gabon | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Guinea | 1958 | France | Yes | Yes | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Ivory Coast | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Madagascar | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Mali | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Mauritania | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| New Caledonia | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Niger | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Senegal | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Upper Volta | 1958 | France | No | No | Yes | Referendum on a new French constitution. A no vote would have led to independence. |
| Western Samoa | 1961 | New Zealand | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Algeria | 1962 | France | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Malta | 1964 | United Kingdom | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Rhodesia | 1964 | United Kingdom | Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
| Djibouti | 1967 | France | No | No | Yes | |
| Puerto Rico | 1967 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| West Papua | 1969 | Indonesia | No | No | Yes | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1969 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| Bahrain | 1970 | United Kingdom | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Niue | 1974 | New Zealand | Majority for associated status | Associated status achieved | Yes | Became an associated state of New Zealand. |
| Comoros | 1974 | France | Yes | Yes | Yes | Mayotte remained with France. |
| Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands | 1975 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| Guam | 1976 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| Aruba | 1977 | Netherlands | Yes | No | Yes | Independence plans dropped in 1994. |
| Djibouti | 1977 | France | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Nevis | 1977 | Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla | Yes | No | No | Unofficial referendum to become independent from Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla and attain Crown colony status within the British Empire. Unrecognized by the central government. |
| Quebec | 1980 | Canada | No | No | Yes | |
| Ciskei | 1980 | South Africa | Yes | De facto | Partial | Recognized by South Africa; not by the international community. |
| Guam | 1982 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| Micronesia | 1983 | United States | Yes | Yes | Yes | Became an associated state of the United States. |
| Marshall Islands | 1983 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| Palau | 1983 | United States | No | No | Yes | Became an associated state of the United States. |
| Palau | 1984 | United States | No | No | Yes | Became an associated state of the United States. |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 1984 | Australia | No | No | Yes | |
| Falkland Islands | 1986 | United Kingdom | No | No | Yes | |
| New Caledonia | 1987 | France | No | No | Yes | |
| Slovenia | 1990 | Yugoslavia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unilaterally declared independence. |
| Armenia | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Azerbaijan | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Croatia | 1991 | Yugoslavia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unilaterally declared independence. |
| Estonia | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Georgia | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Kosova | 1991 | Yugoslavia | Yes | No | No | Only recognized by Albania. |
| Latvia | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Lithuania | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Macedonia | 1991 | Yugoslavia | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Nagorno-Karabakh | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
| Ukraine | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Transnistria | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
| Gagauz Republic | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally separated from Moldova; reintegrated into the country in 1995. |
| Turkmenistan | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Uzbekistan | 1991 | Soviet Union | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1992 | Yugoslavia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unilaterally declared independence. |
| Montenegro | 1992 | Yugoslavia | No | No | Yes | Montenegro split from Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. |
| South Ossetia | 1992 | Georgia | Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
| Tatarstan | 1992 | Russia | Yes | Yes | No | Reintegrated with Russia in 1994. |
| Eritrea | 1993 | Ethiopia | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| United States Virgin Islands | 1993 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| Puerto Rico | 1993 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| Curaçao | 1993 | Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| Bonaire | 1994 | Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| Sint Maarten | 1994 | Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| Saba | 1994 | Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| Sint Eustatius | 1994 | Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| Bermuda | 1995 | United Kingdom | No | No | Yes | |
| Quebec | 1995 | Canada | No | No | Yes | |
| Seborga | 1995 | Italy | Yes | No | No | Regarded as a micronation. |
| Anjouan | 1997 | Comoros | Yes | De facto | No | Reintegrated with the Comoros in 2001. |
| Nevis | 1998 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Yes | No | Yes | 2/3 majority was required for independence. |
| Puerto Rico | 1998 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| East Timor | 1999 | Indonesia | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Sint Maarten | 2000 | Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| Somaliland | 2001 | Somalia | Yes | De facto | No | |
| Bonaire | 2004 | Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| Saba | 2004 | Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| Kurdistan | 2005 | Iraq | Yes | No | No | |
| Curaçao | 2005 | Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| Sint Eustatius | 2005 | Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| Montenegro | 2006 | Serbia and Montenegro | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| South Ossetia | 2006 | Georgia | Yes | De facto | No | |
| Transnistria | 2006 | Moldova | Yes | De facto | No | |
| Tokelau | 2006 | New Zealand | Majority for associated status but Quorum not reached | Associated status not achieved | Yes | The referendum was on whether Tokelau should become an associated state of New Zealand. 2/3 majority was required. |
| Tokelau | 2007 | New Zealand | Majority for associated status but Quorum not reached | Associated status not achieved | Yes | The referendum was on whether Tokelau should become an associated state of New Zealand. 2/3 majority was required. |
| Tamil Eelam | 2009–2010 | Sri Lanka | Yes | No | No | Unofficial referendum. Unrecognized by the government of Sri Lanka. |
| South Sudan | 2011 | Sudan | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Puerto Rico | 2012 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| Donetsk | 2014 | Ukraine | Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
| Luhansk | 2014 | Ukraine | Yes | De facto | No | Unilaterally declared independence. |
| Veneto | 2014 | Italy | Yes | No | No | Unofficial referendum. Unrecognized by the government of Italy. |
| Scotland | 2014 | United Kingdom | No | No | Yes | |
| Catalonia | 2014 | Spain | Yes | No | No | |
| Sint Eustatius | 2014 | Kingdom of the Netherlands | No | No | Yes | |
| South Brazil | 2016 | Brazil | Yes | No | No | Unofficial referendum. Unrecognized by the government of Brazil. |
| Puerto Rico | 2017 | United States | No | No | Yes | |
| Kurdistan | 2017 | Iraq | Yes | No | No | The referendum also took place in the disputed territories of Northern Iraq. |
| Catalonia | 2017 | Spain | Yes | No | No | Unilaterally declared independence. Declaration annulled by the government of Spain. |
| South Brazil | 2017 | Brazil | Yes | No | No | Unofficial referendum. Unrecognized by the government of Brazil. |
| New Caledonia | 2018 | France | No | No | Yes | |
| Bougainville | 2019 | Papua New Guinea | Yes | Subject to negotiation | Yes | Nonbinding vote. Independence rests with Papua New Guinea's parliament. |
| New Caledonia | 2020 | France | No | No | Yes | |
| New Caledonia | 2021 | France | No | No | Yes | Boycotted by pro-independence parties. |
| Puerto Rico | 2024 | United States | No | No | Yes | |