Which has higher clientelism index, China or Italy?

Italy, at 0.218 against 0.195 in China as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for China and Italy?

165 years are reported by both, from 1861 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Clientelism Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

China vs Italy: Clientelism Index

China

0.195

in 2025

Italy

0.218

in 2025

China rank

140th

Italy rank

138th

Clientelism Index over time

China
Italy

How they compare

Italy currently reports 0.218 against 0.195 in China, a difference of 0.023.

That makes Italy's figure about 1.1 times China's.

The two have swapped places 14 times across 165 shared years of data; in 1861 it was Italy ahead.

China ranks 140th and Italy ranks 138th of 176 countries.

Across the 17 decades both report, China averaged higher in 6 and Italy in 11.

Head to head by decade

Decade	China	Italy	Difference	Ahead
1860s	0.469	0.5601	0.0911	Italy
1870s	0.469	0.6378	0.1688	Italy
1880s	0.469	0.6496	0.1806	Italy
1890s	0.469	0.6385	0.1695	Italy
1900s	0.434	0.5573	0.1233	Italy
1910s	0.5286	0.546	0.0174	Italy
1920s	0.4794	0.651	0.1716	Italy
1930s	0.285	0.6945	0.4095	Italy
1940s	0.3322	0.5482	0.216	Italy
1950s	0.164	0.3534	0.1894	Italy
1960s	0.2244	0.3247	0.1003	Italy
1970s	0.2987	0.2771	0.0216	China
1980s	0.2837	0.2769	0.0068	China
1990s	0.2824	0.2143	0.0681	China
2000s	0.2382	0.1971	0.0411	China
2010s	0.206	0.1771	0.0289	China
2020s	0.1947	0.1717	0.023	China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher clientelism index, China or Italy?: Italy, at 0.218 against 0.195 in China as of 2025.
What is the difference in clientelism index between China and Italy?: 0.023, with Italy ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Italy?: 165 years are reported by both, from 1861 to 2025.
How do China and Italy rank globally for clientelism index?: China ranks 140th and Italy ranks 138th of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Clientelism Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Italy: Clientelism Index. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/clientelism-index/china/italy/

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About this data

Indicator: Clientelism Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 24,366 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Composite index measuring the extent to which politics hinge on clientelistic exchanges of targeted goods, jobs, or cash for electoral support; higher values denote more pervasive clientelism.