Which has higher clientelism index, Costa Rica or United States?

Costa Rica, at 0.129 against 0.105 in United States as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and United States?

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 United States: Clientelism Index

Costa Rica

0.129

in 2025

United States

0.105

in 2025

Costa Rica rank

149th

United States rank

152nd

Clientelism Index over time

Costa Rica
United States

How they compare

Costa Rica currently reports 0.129 against 0.105 in United States, a difference of 0.024.

That makes Costa Rica's figure about 1.2 times United States's.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 188 shared years of data; in 1838 it was United States ahead.

Costa Rica ranks 149th and United States ranks 152nd of 176 countries.

Across the 20 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 15 and United States in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Costa Rica	United States	Difference	Ahead
1830s	0.735	0.895	0.16	United States
1840s	0.7419	0.6119	0.13	Costa Rica
1850s	0.75	0.8971	0.1471	United States
1860s	0.75	0.4958	0.2542	Costa Rica
1870s	0.7525	0.581	0.1715	Costa Rica
1880s	0.696	0.9293	0.2333	United States
1890s	0.6754	0.7556	0.0802	United States
1900s	0.6701	0.4424	0.2277	Costa Rica
1910s	0.7738	0.4413	0.3325	Costa Rica
1920s	0.7838	0.4437	0.3401	Costa Rica
1930s	0.7306	0.38	0.3506	Costa Rica
1940s	0.6502	0.3579	0.2923	Costa Rica
1950s	0.3252	0.2869	0.0383	Costa Rica
1960s	0.221	0.2832	0.0622	United States
1970s	0.2734	0.2195	0.0539	Costa Rica
1980s	0.3274	0.1701	0.1573	Costa Rica
1990s	0.259	0.1228	0.1362	Costa Rica
2000s	0.1823	0.1181	0.0642	Costa Rica
2010s	0.1242	0.0714	0.0528	Costa Rica
2020s	0.1313	0.1017	0.0297	Costa Rica

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher clientelism index, Costa Rica or United States?: Costa Rica, at 0.129 against 0.105 in United States as of 2025.
What is the difference in clientelism index between Costa Rica and United States?: 0.024, with Costa Rica ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and United States?: 188 years are reported by both, from 1838 to 2025.
How do Costa Rica and United States rank globally for clientelism index?: Costa Rica ranks 149th and United States ranks 152nd 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.

Individual pages

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: 07 August 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.