Which has higher clientelism index, Costa Rica or South Korea?

Costa Rica, at 0.129 against 0.123 in South Korea as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Korea?

188 years are reported by both, from 1838 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.

Costa Rica vs South Korea: Clientelism Index

Costa Rica

0.129

in 2025

South Korea

0.123

in 2025

Costa Rica rank

149th

South Korea rank

150th

Clientelism Index over time

Costa Rica
South Korea

How they compare

Costa Rica currently reports 0.129 against 0.123 in South Korea, a difference of 0.006.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 188 shared years of data; in 1838 it was South Korea ahead.

Costa Rica ranks 149th and South Korea ranks 150th of 176 countries.

Across the 20 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 19.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Costa Rica	South Korea	Difference	Ahead
1830s	0.735	0.915	0.18	South Korea
1840s	0.7419	0.915	0.1731	South Korea
1850s	0.75	0.915	0.165	South Korea
1860s	0.75	0.915	0.165	South Korea
1870s	0.7525	0.915	0.1625	South Korea
1880s	0.696	0.915	0.219	South Korea
1890s	0.6754	0.915	0.2396	South Korea
1900s	0.6701	0.9119	0.2418	South Korea
1910s	0.7738	0.9073	0.1335	South Korea
1920s	0.7838	0.907	0.1232	South Korea
1930s	0.7306	0.907	0.1764	South Korea
1940s	0.6502	0.8119	0.1617	South Korea
1950s	0.3252	0.7977	0.4725	South Korea
1960s	0.221	0.7203	0.4993	South Korea
1970s	0.2734	0.6636	0.3902	South Korea
1980s	0.3274	0.5888	0.2614	South Korea
1990s	0.259	0.3881	0.1291	South Korea
2000s	0.1823	0.2598	0.0775	South Korea
2010s	0.1242	0.1579	0.0337	South Korea
2020s	0.1313	0.1218	0.0095	Costa Rica

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher clientelism index, Costa Rica or South Korea?: Costa Rica, at 0.129 against 0.123 in South Korea as of 2025.
What is the difference in clientelism index between Costa Rica and South Korea?: 0.006, with Costa Rica ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Korea?: 188 years are reported by both, from 1838 to 2025.
How do Costa Rica and South Korea rank globally for clientelism index?: Costa Rica ranks 149th and South Korea ranks 150th 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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Costa Rica vs South Korea: 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/costa-rica/korea-rep/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/clientelism-index/costa-rica/korea-rep/">Costa Rica vs South Korea: Clientelism Index</a> — Statizoid

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.