Portugal vs Spain: Democracy Index
Portugal
10
in 2018
Spain
10
in 2018
Portugal rank
1st
Spain rank
1st
Democracy Index over time
- Portugal
- Spain
How they compare
Portugal currently reports 10 against 10 in Spain, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 205 shared years of data; in 1800 it was Spain ahead.
Portugal ranks 1st and Spain ranks 1st of 167 countries.
Across the 21 decades both report, Portugal averaged higher in 5 and Spain in 11.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Portugal | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | -10 | -10 | 0 | — |
| 1820s | -3 | -5.4 | 2.4 | Portugal |
| 1830s | -1.7 | -4.2 | 2.5 | Portugal |
| 1840s | -3 | -1.5 | 1.5 | Spain |
| 1850s | -5 | -4.5 | 0.5 | Spain |
| 1860s | -7 | -5.4 | 1.6 | Spain |
| 1870s | -7 | -0.9 | 6.1 | Spain |
| 1880s | -5 | 4 | 9 | Spain |
| 1890s | -4 | 4.5 | 8.5 | Spain |
| 1900s | -2.4 | 6 | 8.4 | Spain |
| 1910s | 6.8 | 6 | 0.8 | Portugal |
| 1920s | 3.8 | -2.6 | 6.4 | Portugal |
| 1930s | -9 | 5 | 14 | Spain |
| 1940s | -9 | -7 | 2 | Spain |
| 1950s | -9 | -7 | 2 | Spain |
| 1960s | -9 | -7 | 2 | Spain |
| 1970s | 0 | -1.4 | 1.4 | Portugal |
| 1980s | 9.8 | 9.8 | 0 | — |
| 1990s | 10 | 10 | 0 | — |
| 2000s | 10 | 10 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 10 | 10 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher democracy index, Portugal or Spain?
- Portugal, at 10 against 10 in Spain as of 2018.
- What is the difference in democracy index between Portugal and Spain?
- 0, with Portugal ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and Spain?
- 205 years are reported by both, from 1800 to 2018.
- How do Portugal and Spain rank globally for democracy index?
- Portugal ranks 1st and Spain ranks 1st of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Polity 5 (2020); Population based on various sources (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
It combines information on the extent to which open, multi-party, and competitive elections choose a chief executive who faces comprehensive institutional constraints, and political participation is competitive. It ranges from -10 to 10 (fully democratic).