Costa Rica vs Spain: Distribution of Democracy Index
Costa Rica
20
in 2018
Spain
20
in 2018
Costa Rica rank
1st
Spain rank
1st
Distribution of Democracy Index over time
- Costa Rica
- Spain
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 20 against 20 in Spain, a difference of 0.
The two have swapped places 10 times across 181 shared years of data; in 1838 it was Spain ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 1st and Spain ranks 1st of 168 countries.
Across the 19 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 10 and Spain in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 6 | 9 | 3 | Spain |
| 1840s | 6 | 8.5 | 2.5 | Spain |
| 1850s | 6 | 5.5 | 0.5 | Costa Rica |
| 1860s | 6 | 4.6 | 1.4 | Costa Rica |
| 1870s | 6 | 9.1 | 3.1 | Spain |
| 1880s | 8.5 | 14 | 5.5 | Spain |
| 1890s | 16.8 | 14.5 | 2.3 | Costa Rica |
| 1900s | 18 | 16 | 2 | Costa Rica |
| 1910s | 14.7 | 16 | 1.3 | Spain |
| 1920s | 15 | 7.4 | 7.6 | Costa Rica |
| 1930s | 15 | 15 | 0 | — |
| 1940s | 15.3 | 3 | 12.3 | Costa Rica |
| 1950s | 19.7 | 3 | 16.7 | Costa Rica |
| 1960s | 20 | 3 | 17 | Costa Rica |
| 1970s | 20 | 8.6 | 11.4 | Costa Rica |
| 1980s | 20 | 19.8 | 0.2 | Costa Rica |
| 1990s | 20 | 20 | 0 | — |
| 2000s | 20 | 20 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 20 | 20 | 0 | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher distribution of democracy index, Costa Rica or Spain?
- Costa Rica, at 20 against 20 in Spain as of 2018.
- What is the difference in distribution of democracy index between Costa Rica and Spain?
- 0, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Spain?
- 181 years are reported by both, from 1838 to 2018.
- How do Costa Rica and Spain rank globally for distribution of democracy index?
- Costa Rica ranks 1st and Spain ranks 1st of 168 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Polity 5 (2020) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Distribution of 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 0 to 20 (fully democratic).