Statizoid

Clientelism Index in New Zealand

New Zealand: Clientelism Index was 0.056 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.056
Change on year
down 8.2%
World rank
170th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.501
in 1854
All-time low
0.041
in 2018
Years of data
173
1853–2025

Clientelism Index in New Zealand, 1853–2025

00.10.20.30.40.5185319392025

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

Analysis

In 2025, clientelism index in New Zealand stood at 0.056.

That represents a change of down 8.2% on the previous year and down 11.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, clientelism index in New Zealand peaked at 0.501 in 1854 and was at its lowest, 0.041, in 2018.

New Zealand ranks 170th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Clientelism Index in New Zealand, year by year

Year Value Change
1853 0.498 —
1854 0.501 +0.6%
1855 0.5 -0.2%
1856 0.497 -0.6%
1857 0.497 +0.0%
1858 0.497 +0.0%
1859 0.497 +0.0%
1860 0.492 -1.0%
1861 0.407 -17.3%
1862 0.407 +0.0%
1863 0.407 +0.0%
1864 0.407 +0.0%
1865 0.407 +0.0%
1866 0.39 -4.2%
1867 0.387 -0.8%
1868 0.393 +1.6%
1869 0.395 +0.5%
1870 0.395 +0.0%
1871 0.392 -0.8%
1872 0.392 +0.0%
1873 0.392 +0.0%
1874 0.392 +0.0%
1875 0.392 +0.0%
1876 0.405 +3.3%
1877 0.405 +0.0%
1878 0.405 +0.0%
1879 0.4 -1.2%
1880 0.39 -2.5%
1881 0.39 +0.0%
1882 0.397 +1.8%
1883 0.397 +0.0%
1884 0.396 -0.3%
1885 0.394 -0.5%
1886 0.276 -29.9%
1887 0.278 +0.7%
1888 0.283 +1.8%
1889 0.283 +0.0%
1890 0.284 +0.4%
1891 0.22 -22.5%
1892 0.22 +0.0%
1893 0.219 -0.5%
1894 0.218 -0.5%
1895 0.218 +0.0%
1896 0.21 -3.7%
1897 0.122 -41.9%
1898 0.122 +0.0%
1899 0.122 +0.0%
1900 0.131 +7.4%
1901 0.131 +0.0%
1902 0.129 -1.5%
1903 0.117 -9.3%
1904 0.117 +0.0%
1905 0.117 +0.0%
1906 0.118 +0.9%
1907 0.118 +0.0%
1908 0.117 -0.8%
1909 0.114 -2.6%
1910 0.114 +0.0%
1911 0.114 +0.0%
1912 0.088 -22.8%
1913 0.088 +0.0%
1914 0.088 +0.0%
1915 0.085 -3.4%
1916 0.085 +0.0%
1917 0.085 +0.0%
1918 0.085 +0.0%
1919 0.085 +0.0%
1920 0.096 +12.9%
1921 0.096 +0.0%
1922 0.096 +0.0%
1923 0.093 -3.1%
1924 0.093 +0.0%
1925 0.095 +2.2%
1926 0.102 +7.4%
1927 0.102 +0.0%
1928 0.101 -1.0%
1929 0.096 -5.0%
1930 0.096 +0.0%
1931 0.096 +0.0%
1932 0.094 -2.1%
1933 0.094 +0.0%
1934 0.094 +0.0%
1935 0.077 -18.1%
1936 0.072 -6.5%
1937 0.072 +0.0%
1938 0.072 +0.0%
1939 0.071 -1.4%
1940 0.071 +0.0%
1941 0.071 +0.0%
1942 0.071 +0.0%
1943 0.071 +0.0%
1944 0.071 +0.0%
1945 0.071 +0.0%
1946 0.071 +0.0%
1947 0.072 +1.4%
1948 0.072 +0.0%
1949 0.072 +0.0%
1950 0.072 +0.0%
1951 0.073 +1.4%
1952 0.074 +1.4%
1953 0.074 +0.0%
1954 0.074 +0.0%
1955 0.07 -5.4%
1956 0.07 +0.0%
1957 0.07 +0.0%
1958 0.074 +5.7%
1959 0.074 +0.0%
1960 0.073 -1.4%
1961 0.069 -5.5%
1962 0.069 +0.0%
1963 0.07 +1.4%
1964 0.077 +10.0%
1965 0.077 +0.0%
1966 0.077 +0.0%
1967 0.072 -6.5%
1968 0.072 +0.0%
1969 0.072 +0.0%
1970 0.075 +4.2%
1971 0.075 +0.0%
1972 0.075 +0.0%
1973 0.075 +0.0%
1974 0.075 +0.0%
1975 0.075 +0.0%
1976 0.079 +5.3%
1977 0.079 +0.0%
1978 0.079 +0.0%
1979 0.076 -3.8%
1980 0.076 +0.0%
1981 0.076 +0.0%
1982 0.074 -2.6%
1983 0.074 +0.0%
1984 0.083 +12.2%
1985 0.079 -4.8%
1986 0.079 +0.0%
1987 0.081 +2.5%
1988 0.086 +6.2%
1989 0.086 +0.0%
1990 0.084 -2.3%
1991 0.076 -9.5%
1992 0.076 +0.0%
1993 0.077 +1.3%
1994 0.085 +10.4%
1995 0.085 +0.0%
1996 0.084 -1.2%
1997 0.08 -4.8%
1998 0.08 +0.0%
1999 0.08 +0.0%
2000 0.079 -1.3%
2001 0.079 +0.0%
2002 0.074 -6.3%
2003 0.078 +5.4%
2004 0.078 +0.0%
2005 0.079 +1.3%
2006 0.082 +3.8%
2007 0.082 +0.0%
2008 0.082 +0.0%
2009 0.059 -28.0%
2010 0.059 +0.0%
2011 0.059 +0.0%
2012 0.06 +1.7%
2013 0.06 +0.0%
2014 0.06 +0.0%
2015 0.063 +5.0%
2016 0.063 +0.0%
2017 0.056 -11.1%
2018 0.041 -26.8%
2019 0.041 +0.0%
2020 0.041 +0.0%
2021 0.043 +4.9%
2022 0.043 +0.0%
2023 0.044 +2.3%
2024 0.061 +38.6%
2025 0.056 -8.2%

New Zealand compared with similar countries

  • New Zealand's 0.056 is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.131, 43% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • New Zealand's 0.056 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.4255, 13% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1850s 0.4981 0.497 0.501 7
1860s 0.4092 0.387 0.492 10
1870s 0.397 0.392 0.405 10
1880s 0.3484 0.276 0.397 10
1890s 0.1955 0.122 0.284 10
1900s 0.1209 0.114 0.131 10
1910s 0.0917 0.085 0.114 10
1920s 0.097 0.093 0.102 10
1930s 0.0838 0.071 0.096 10
1940s 0.0713 0.071 0.072 10
1950s 0.0725 0.07 0.074 10
1960s 0.0728 0.069 0.077 10
1970s 0.0763 0.075 0.079 10
1980s 0.0794 0.074 0.086 10
1990s 0.0807 0.076 0.085 10
2000s 0.0772 0.059 0.082 10
2010s 0.0562 0.041 0.063 10
2020s 0.048 0.041 0.061 6

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 168 Canada 0.058 compare
  2. 168 Estonia 0.058 compare
  3. 170 Australia 0.056 compare
  4. 172 Luxembourg 0.044 compare
  5. 173 Germany 0.038 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is clientelism index in New Zealand?
Clientelism index in New Zealand was 0.056 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest clientelism index recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 0.501 in 1854.
What is the lowest clientelism index recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 0.041 in 2018.
How does New Zealand rank for clientelism index?
New Zealand ranks 170th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is clientelism index rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this New Zealand 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.

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CSV · JSON — 173 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Relationships involving this indicator

Comparisons with other indicators across countries. Each was re-measured with population and national income held constant, so a relationship that only reflected country size is not listed here.

All correlations →

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Clientelism Index in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/clientelism-index/new-zealand/

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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.