diff --git a/doc/source/whatsnew/v1.5.0.rst b/doc/source/whatsnew/v1.5.0.rst
index 8a947e4505ec5..66f5ea11f87ff 100644
--- a/doc/source/whatsnew/v1.5.0.rst
+++ b/doc/source/whatsnew/v1.5.0.rst
@@ -686,6 +686,7 @@ Other Deprecations
 - Deprecated the ``closed`` argument in :class:`intervaltree` in favor of ``inclusive`` argument; In a future version passing ``closed`` will raise (:issue:`40245`)
 - Deprecated the ``closed`` argument in :class:`ArrowInterval` in favor of ``inclusive`` argument; In a future version passing ``closed`` will raise (:issue:`40245`)
 - Deprecated allowing ``unit="M"`` or ``unit="Y"`` in :class:`Timestamp` constructor with a non-round float value (:issue:`47267`)
+- Deprecated the ``display.column_space`` global configuration option (:issue:`7576`)
 -
 
 .. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/pandas/core/config_init.py b/pandas/core/config_init.py
index dd106b6dbb63c..47cf64ba24022 100644
--- a/pandas/core/config_init.py
+++ b/pandas/core/config_init.py
@@ -361,7 +361,17 @@ def is_terminal() -> bool:
         float_format_doc,
         validator=is_one_of_factory([None, is_callable]),
     )
-    cf.register_option("column_space", 12, validator=is_int)
+
+    def _deprecate_column_space(key):
+        warnings.warn(
+            "column_space is deprecated and will be removed "
+            "in a future version. Use df.to_string(col_space=...) "
+            "instead.",
+            FutureWarning,
+            stacklevel=find_stack_level(),
+        )
+
+    cf.register_option("column_space", 12, validator=is_int, cb=_deprecate_column_space)
     cf.register_option(
         "max_info_rows",
         1690785,
diff --git a/pandas/io/formats/format.py b/pandas/io/formats/format.py
index 3019aa1fc2dc7..045e74c1b6083 100644
--- a/pandas/io/formats/format.py
+++ b/pandas/io/formats/format.py
@@ -1294,7 +1294,7 @@ def format_array(
         fmt_klass = GenericArrayFormatter
 
     if space is None:
-        space = get_option("display.column_space")
+        space = 12
 
     if float_format is None:
         float_format = get_option("display.float_format")
@@ -2099,7 +2099,6 @@ def set_eng_float_format(accuracy: int = 3, use_eng_prefix: bool = False) -> Non
     See also EngFormatter.
     """
     set_option("display.float_format", EngFormatter(accuracy, use_eng_prefix))
-    set_option("display.column_space", max(12, accuracy + 9))
 
 
 def get_level_lengths(
diff --git a/pandas/tests/frame/test_repr_info.py b/pandas/tests/frame/test_repr_info.py
index 765640c94673e..f42660b297cb0 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/frame/test_repr_info.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/frame/test_repr_info.py
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ def test_repr_unsortable(self, float_frame):
         )
         repr(unsortable)
 
-        fmt.set_option("display.precision", 3, "display.column_space", 10)
+        fmt.set_option("display.precision", 3)
         repr(float_frame)
 
         fmt.set_option("display.max_rows", 10, "display.max_columns", 2)
diff --git a/pandas/tests/io/formats/test_format.py b/pandas/tests/io/formats/test_format.py
index 04f4b0a313fdc..a7c9c86b3d9a5 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/io/formats/test_format.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/io/formats/test_format.py
@@ -1442,8 +1442,6 @@ def test_to_string_float_formatting(self):
         fmt.set_option(
             "display.precision",
             5,
-            "display.column_space",
-            12,
             "display.notebook_repr_html",
             False,
         )
@@ -3402,3 +3400,9 @@ def test_filepath_or_buffer_bad_arg_raises(float_frame, method):
     msg = "buf is not a file name and it has no write method"
     with pytest.raises(TypeError, match=msg):
         getattr(float_frame, method)(buf=object())
+
+
+def test_col_space_deprecated():
+    # GH 7576
+    with tm.assert_produces_warning(FutureWarning, match="column_space is"):
+        set_option("display.column_space", 11)