Clientelism Index in Vietnam

Vietnam: Clientelism Index was 0.298 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
0.298
Change on year
up 119.1%
World rank
125th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.298
in 2025
All-time low
0.102
in 1977
Years of data
50
1976–2025

Clientelism Index in Vietnam, 1976–2025

0.10.150.20.250.3197620002025

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

Analysis

Vietnam recorded 0.298 for clientelism index in 2025. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.

The figure is up 119.1% on the previous year and up 97.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, clientelism index in Vietnam peaked at 0.298 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.102, in 1977.

Vietnam ranks 125th of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.

Clientelism Index in Vietnam, year by year

Annual values for Clientelism Index in Vietnam, 1976 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1976 0.103
1977 0.102 -1.0%
1978 0.102 +0.0%
1979 0.102 +0.0%
1980 0.102 +0.0%
1981 0.106 +3.9%
1982 0.108 +1.9%
1983 0.108 +0.0%
1984 0.108 +0.0%
1985 0.108 +0.0%
1986 0.108 +0.0%
1987 0.103 -4.6%
1988 0.102 -1.0%
1989 0.106 +3.9%
1990 0.106 +0.0%
1991 0.106 +0.0%
1992 0.113 +6.6%
1993 0.122 +8.0%
1994 0.122 +0.0%
1995 0.134 +9.8%
1996 0.134 +0.0%
1997 0.141 +5.2%
1998 0.15 +6.4%
1999 0.15 +0.0%
2000 0.15 +0.0%
2001 0.15 +0.0%
2002 0.161 +7.3%
2003 0.161 +0.0%
2004 0.161 +0.0%
2005 0.161 +0.0%
2006 0.161 +0.0%
2007 0.157 -2.5%
2008 0.158 +0.6%
2009 0.158 +0.0%
2010 0.158 +0.0%
2011 0.151 -4.4%
2012 0.151 +0.0%
2013 0.151 +0.0%
2014 0.151 +0.0%
2015 0.151 +0.0%
2016 0.163 +7.9%
2017 0.198 +21.5%
2018 0.198 +0.0%
2019 0.198 +0.0%
2020 0.157 -20.7%
2021 0.153 -2.5%
2022 0.168 +9.8%
2023 0.15 -10.7%
2024 0.136 -9.3%
2025 0.298 +119.1%

Vietnam compared with similar countries

  • Vietnam's 0.298 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5145, 58% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
  • Vietnam's 0.298 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.4255, 70% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0.1022 0.102 0.103 4
1980s 0.1059 0.102 0.108 10
1990s 0.1278 0.106 0.15 10
2000s 0.1578 0.15 0.161 10
2010s 0.167 0.151 0.198 10
2020s 0.177 0.136 0.298 6

Countries ranked near Vietnam

  1. 122 Bhutan 0.333 compare
  2. 123 Mauritius 0.314 compare
  3. 124 Trinidad and Tobago 0.309 compare
  4. 125 Laos 0.298 compare
  5. 125 Rwanda 0.298 compare
  6. 125 Tunisia 0.298 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Vietnam

All data for Vietnam →

Frequently asked questions

What is clientelism index in Vietnam?
Clientelism index in Vietnam was 0.298 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest clientelism index recorded in Vietnam?
The highest recorded value was 0.298 in 2025.
What is the lowest clientelism index recorded in Vietnam?
The lowest recorded value was 0.102 in 1977.
How does Vietnam rank for clientelism index?
Vietnam ranks 125th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is clientelism index rising or falling in Vietnam?
Over the last ten years it is up 97.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Vietnam 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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Clientelism Index in Vietnam. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/clientelism-index/viet-nam/

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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.