South Africa vs Spain: Married women are required by law to obey their husbands

South Africa
1 (1=yes; 0=no)
in 2023
Spain
1 (1=yes; 0=no)
in 2023
South Africa rank
1st
Spain rank
1st

Married women are required by law to obey their husbands over time

  • South Africa
  • Spain
00.20.40.60.81197019962023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1 (1=yes; 0=no) against 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in Spain, a difference of 0 (1=yes; 0=no).

The two have swapped places 1 time across 54 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.

South Africa ranks 1st and Spain ranks 1st of 188 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Spain Difference Ahead
1970s 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 0.5 (1=yes; 0=no) 0.5 (1=yes; 0=no) South Africa
1980s 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 0 (1=yes; 0=no)
1990s 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 0 (1=yes; 0=no)
2000s 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 0 (1=yes; 0=no)
2010s 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 0 (1=yes; 0=no)
2020s 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 1 (1=yes; 0=no) 0 (1=yes; 0=no)

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher married women are required by law to obey their husbands, South Africa or Spain?
South Africa, at 1 (1=yes; 0=no) against 1 (1=yes; 0=no) in Spain as of 2023.
What is the difference in married women are required by law to obey their husbands between South Africa and Spain?
0 (1=yes; 0=no), with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
54 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2023.
How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for married women are required by law to obey their husbands?
South Africa ranks 1st and Spain ranks 1st of 188 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Women, Business and the Law; World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as Married women are required by law to obey their husbands. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Spain: Married women are required by law to obey their husbands. Statizoid, drawing on Women, Business and the Law; World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/compare/women-required-to-obey-husband/south-africa/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Married women are required by law to obey their husbands
Unit
(1=yes; 0=no)
Source
Women, Business and the Law; World Bank – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
188 places, 10,152 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

This indicator captures whether family law includes any provision requiring a married woman to obey her husband or penalizing her for disobedience, such as loss of maintenance rights.