The attraction between magnets is slightly stronger than their repulsion. This is due to the orientation of the elementary magnets in the actual magnet. When identical magnets touch each other, the attraction between the two opposite poles is 5 to 10% higher than the repulsion of two identical poles.
Attraction : parallel elementary magnets
In a single magnet, the elementary magnets are oriented more or less parallel to each other. The more these elementary magnets are parallel, the greater the “strength” of the magnet. When two opposite poles attract each other, this promotes the parallel alignment of the elementary magnets of both magnets. This slightly increases their power.
Repulsion : disturbed elementary magnets
On the other hand, when two identical magnets repel each other, their elementary domains are disturbed, their arrangement is no longer parallel, and the power of both magnets decreases slightly
