Spain — Democratic governments (1978–present)
Spain
Basis for the estimate: Constitutional monarchy, EU membership, same-sex marriage (2005), decentralization.
Official system and how it worked in practice
| Official system | Parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| In practice, 1978–1982 | Electoral democracy free and fair multiparty elections and basic freedoms |
| In practice, 1983–2025 | Liberal democracy electoral democracy plus strong rule of law, judicial and legislative checks, and protected individual rights |
“In practice” is V-Dem’s Regimes of the World classification for Spain, 1978–2025, from expert-coded data (V-Dem Regimes of the World (v2x_regime), V-Dem dataset v16, March 2026). V-Dem codes each country as it stood at the end of each year, so the first and last years can reflect the previous or next government. The official system is the constitutional form during the period.
Political placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 55 | near the center | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 24 | toward progressive | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 27 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 40 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 55 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 63 | near the center |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 44 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 40 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 25 | toward progressive |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 10 | strongly toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 43 | near the center |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 56 | near the center |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 55 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 22 | toward secular state |
Country and government scores interpret the policies of a specific government or period; they are not an authoritative ranking of countries, and official constitutional structures can differ from how power is exercised in practice. How scores are made.
Key positions (estimated)
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Strongly agrees | from their record |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Preserving a historic national majority is a legitimate immigration objective. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Society works best when established social hierarchies are respected. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Non-intervention should be the default even when allies request military assistance. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| National legislation should reflect the moral teachings of the country’s majority religion. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
Closest ideologies
Most similar governments
Sources
- Wikipedia: Politics of Spain (Wikipedia search)
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.