Clientelism Index in Colombia

Colombia: Clientelism Index was 0.596 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
0.596
Change on year
up 3.8%
World rank
62nd
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.805
in 1978
All-time low
0.54
in 1833
Years of data
216
1810–2025

Clientelism Index in Colombia, 1810–2025

00.20.40.60.8181019172025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, clientelism index in Colombia stood at 0.596.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.8% on the previous year and down 8.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, clientelism index in Colombia peaked at 0.805 in 1978 and was at its lowest, 0.54, in 1833.

That places Colombia 62nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 216 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1810s 0.566 0.566 0.566 10
1820s 0.546 0.543 0.566 10
1830s 0.5409 0.54 0.543 10
1840s 0.5534 0.54 0.562 10
1850s 0.5547 0.552 0.56 10
1860s 0.5545 0.54 0.563 10
1870s 0.5502 0.542 0.558 10
1880s 0.5547 0.546 0.566 10
1890s 0.6356 0.551 0.759 10
1900s 0.755 0.755 0.755 10
1910s 0.7279 0.653 0.782 10
1920s 0.7753 0.769 0.782 10
1930s 0.744 0.722 0.769 10
1940s 0.7303 0.699 0.762 10
1950s 0.6797 0.661 0.727 10
1960s 0.672 0.65 0.697 10
1970s 0.7587 0.729 0.805 10
1980s 0.7734 0.759 0.803 10
1990s 0.7457 0.726 0.764 10
2000s 0.719 0.675 0.762 10
2010s 0.6628 0.648 0.673 10
2020s 0.6285 0.574 0.671 6

Countries ranked near Colombia

  1. 59 Bulgaria 0.618 compare
  2. 60 Egypt 0.6 compare
  3. 61 Sudan 0.598 compare
  4. 62 Kuwait 0.596 compare
  5. 62 Panama 0.596 compare
  6. 62 Peru 0.596 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Colombia

All data for Colombia →

Frequently asked questions

What is clientelism index in Colombia?
Clientelism index in Colombia was 0.596 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest clientelism index recorded in Colombia?
The highest recorded value was 0.805 in 1978.
What is the lowest clientelism index recorded in Colombia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.54 in 1833.
How does Colombia rank for clientelism index?
Colombia ranks 62nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is clientelism index rising or falling in Colombia?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Colombia data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Clientelism Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 216 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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

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.