Which has higher direct democracy index, Portugal or Spain?

Portugal, at 0.028 against 0.028 in Spain as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and Spain?

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Direct Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Portugal vs Spain: Direct Democracy Index

Portugal

0.028

in 2025

Spain

0.028

in 2025

Portugal rank

98th

Spain rank

98th

Direct Democracy Index over time

Portugal
Spain

How they compare

Portugal currently reports 0.028 against 0.028 in Spain, a difference of 0.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was Spain ahead.

Portugal ranks 98th and Spain ranks 98th of 175 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, Portugal averaged higher in 3 and Spain in 7.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Portugal	Spain	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0	0	0	—
1910s	0	0	0	—
1920s	0	0	0	—
1930s	0.01	0.0224	0.0124	Spain
1940s	0	0.064	0.064	Spain
1950s	0	0.1568	0.1568	Spain
1960s	0	0.0452	0.0452	Spain
1970s	0.0072	0.0452	0.038	Spain
1980s	0.018	0.1884	0.1704	Spain
1990s	0.046	0.158	0.112	Spain
2000s	0.1454	0.109	0.0364	Portugal
2010s	0.1372	0.1135	0.0237	Portugal
2020s	0.0542	0.043	0.0112	Portugal

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher direct democracy index, Portugal or Spain?: Portugal, at 0.028 against 0.028 in Spain as of 2025.
What is the difference in direct democracy index between Portugal and Spain?: 0, with Portugal ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and Spain?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do Portugal and Spain rank globally for direct democracy index?: Portugal ranks 98th and Spain ranks 98th of 175 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Direct Democracy Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Portugal vs Spain: Direct Democracy Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/compare/direct-democracy-index/portugal/spain/

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About this data

Indicator: Direct Democracy Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 175 places, 20,802 data points, 1900–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Measures the extent of how easy it is for citizens to vote on specific issues themselves in popular initiatives, referendums, and plebiscites.