Clientelism Index in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Clientelism Index was 0.129 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
0.129
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
149th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.802
in 1919
All-time low
0.105
in 2015
Years of data
188
1838–2025

Clientelism Index in Costa Rica, 1838–2025

0.20.40.60.8183819312025

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

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 0.129 for clientelism index in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 22.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, clientelism index in Costa Rica peaked at 0.802 in 1919 and was at its lowest, 0.105, in 2015.

That places Costa Rica 149th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 188 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1830s 0.735 0.735 0.735 2
1840s 0.7419 0.735 0.75 10
1850s 0.75 0.75 0.75 10
1860s 0.75 0.75 0.75 10
1870s 0.7525 0.75 0.753 10
1880s 0.696 0.695 0.705 10
1890s 0.6754 0.668 0.679 10
1900s 0.6701 0.664 0.697 10
1910s 0.7738 0.76 0.802 10
1920s 0.7838 0.773 0.795 10
1930s 0.7306 0.72 0.798 10
1940s 0.6502 0.43 0.722 10
1950s 0.3252 0.266 0.413 10
1960s 0.221 0.206 0.266 10
1970s 0.2734 0.265 0.277 10
1980s 0.3274 0.306 0.348 10
1990s 0.259 0.214 0.275 10
2000s 0.1823 0.15 0.214 10
2010s 0.1242 0.105 0.143 10
2020s 0.1313 0.117 0.16 6

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 146 Japan 0.14 compare
  2. 147 Latvia 0.131 compare
  3. 147 Lithuania 0.131 compare
  4. 150 South Korea 0.123 compare
  5. 151 Belarus 0.118 compare
  6. 152 Austria 0.105 compare
  7. 152 United States 0.105 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is clientelism index in Costa Rica?
Clientelism index in Costa Rica was 0.129 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest clientelism index recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 0.802 in 1919.
What is the lowest clientelism index recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 0.105 in 2015.
How does Costa Rica rank for clientelism index?
Costa Rica ranks 149th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is clientelism index rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is up 22.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Costa Rica 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 — 188 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.