Clientelism Index in North Korea
North Korea: Clientelism Index was 0.511 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
0.511
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
83rd
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.775
in 1945
All-time low
0.439
in 2010
Years of data
81
1945–2025
Clientelism Index in North Korea, 1945–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 0.511 for clientelism index in 2025.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, clientelism index in North Korea peaked at 0.775 in 1945 and was at its lowest, 0.439, in 2010.
North Korea ranks 83rd of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 81 years of available data.
Clientelism Index in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 0.775 | — |
| 1946 | 0.706 | -8.9% |
| 1947 | 0.706 | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 0.649 | -8.1% |
| 1949 | 0.587 | -9.6% |
| 1950 | 0.628 | +7.0% |
| 1951 | 0.628 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.628 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.628 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.611 | -2.7% |
| 1955 | 0.564 | -7.7% |
| 1956 | 0.607 | +7.6% |
| 1957 | 0.586 | -3.5% |
| 1958 | 0.543 | -7.3% |
| 1959 | 0.543 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.505 | -7.0% |
| 1961 | 0.505 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.508 | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 0.532 | +4.7% |
| 1964 | 0.511 | -3.9% |
| 1965 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.51 | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 0.51 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.566 | +11.0% |
| 1971 | 0.566 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.572 | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 0.562 | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 0.562 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 0.562 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.562 | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 0.56 | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 0.55 | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 0.55 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.584 | +6.2% |
| 1981 | 0.584 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.562 | -3.8% |
| 1983 | 0.558 | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 0.558 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.558 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.561 | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 0.575 | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 0.575 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.575 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.546 | -5.0% |
| 1991 | 0.552 | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 0.542 | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 0.542 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.542 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.542 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.542 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.542 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.505 | -6.8% |
| 1999 | 0.508 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 0.508 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.508 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.508 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.5 | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 0.489 | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 0.489 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.489 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.489 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.489 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.448 | -8.4% |
| 2010 | 0.439 | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 0.439 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.439 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 0.439 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.498 | +13.4% |
| 2015 | 0.511 | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.511 | +0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 0.511 is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.692, 74% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 0.511 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.4255, 1.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0.6846 | 0.587 | 0.775 | 5 |
| 1950s | 0.5966 | 0.543 | 0.628 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.5114 | 0.505 | 0.532 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.5612 | 0.55 | 0.572 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.569 | 0.558 | 0.584 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5363 | 0.505 | 0.552 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4917 | 0.448 | 0.508 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4809 | 0.439 | 0.511 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.511 | 0.511 | 0.511 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More reference data data for North Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Burning - Crop residues 3.54 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Agricultural Soils 1,939 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.838 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Manure Management 11.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Agricultural 1,939 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Burning - Crop 24.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is clientelism index in North Korea?
- Clientelism index in North Korea was 0.511 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest clientelism index recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 0.775 in 1945.
- What is the lowest clientelism index recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.439 in 2010.
- How does North Korea rank for clientelism index?
- North Korea ranks 83rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is clientelism index rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North Korea 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 — 81 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.