South Africa vs Spain: Political Polarization Score
South Africa
-0.126
in 2025
Spain
-0.092
in 2025
South Africa rank
99th
Spain rank
96th
Political Polarization Score over time
- South Africa
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports -0.092 against -0.126 in South Africa, a difference of 0.034.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 99th and Spain ranks 96th of 174 countries.
Across the 13 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 9 and Spain in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 1.38 | 0.9615 | 0.4165 | South Africa |
| 1910s | 1.01 | 1.05 | 0.0436 | Spain |
| 1920s | 0.964 | 1.1 | 0.1331 | Spain |
| 1930s | 0.964 | 2.29 | 1.32 | Spain |
| 1940s | 1.36 | 2.52 | 1.16 | Spain |
| 1950s | 2.92 | 2.2 | 0.7245 | South Africa |
| 1960s | 2.92 | 2.16 | 0.76 | South Africa |
| 1970s | 2.92 | 0.8704 | 2.05 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 2.92 | -1.88 | 4.8 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 0.5209 | -1.83 | 2.35 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.006 | -1.72 | 1.72 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.1172 | -0.737 | 0.8542 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 0.1672 | -0.024 | 0.1912 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher political polarization score, South Africa or Spain?
- Spain, at -0.092 against -0.126 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in political polarization score between South Africa and Spain?
- 0.034, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
- 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for political polarization score?
- South Africa ranks 99th and Spain ranks 96th of 174 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- V-Dem (2026) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Political Polarization Score. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which society is divided into hostile political camps, where political differences undermine social relationships and discourage interaction across ideological lines.