Democracy index

Political corruption by country

The V-Dem political corruption index measures bribery, embezzlement and theft of public funds in the executive, the legislature, the courts and the public sector. Here is how 179 countries score in 2025, and how that has changed since 2015.

Data: V-Dem v16, scores for 2025 · Page updated 27 October 2026

Least corruption0.00Denmark

Most corruption0.97Venezuela

World average0.48across 179 countries

Got worse since 201557countries, against 74 that improved

Key findings

The lowest levels of corruption in 2025 are in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and the highest in Nicaragua, Chad and Venezuela. Democracies average 0.29, against 0.66 for autocracies. Since 2015, 57 countries have seen more corruption by at least 0.02 points and 74 have improved by at least as much.

Least corrupt 15 countries, 2025Political corruption index, 0 to 1

Denmark0.00

Sweden0.01

Norway0.01

Singapore0.01

Iceland0.01

New Zealand0.01

Switzerland0.02

Germany0.02

Estonia0.03

Luxembourg0.03

Canada0.03

Netherlands0.03

Australia0.03

Belgium0.03

Finland0.03

Most corrupt 15 countries, 2025Political corruption index, 0 to 1

Venezuela0.97

Chad0.95

Nicaragua0.94

Cameroon0.94

Cambodia0.90

Yemen0.90

Turkmenistan0.90

Tajikistan0.89

South Sudan0.89

Iraq0.89

Azerbaijan0.89

Uganda0.89

Democratic Republic of the Congo0.89

Madagascar0.88

Liberia0.88

Biggest changes since 2015

The largest increases in corruption were in Myanmar, Mozambique and Georgia. The largest improvements were in Moldova, Maldives and Armenia.

Largest increases in corruption, 2015 to 2025Change in index points

Myanmar+0.33

Mozambique+0.20

Georgia+0.19

Serbia+0.14

Zambia+0.13

Greece+0.13

Palestine (West Bank)+0.13

Philippines+0.13

Bulgaria+0.12

Zimbabwe+0.11

Largest falls in corruption, 2015 to 2025Change in index points

Moldova−0.47

Maldives−0.42

Armenia−0.38

Benin−0.34

Syria−0.32

The Gambia−0.31

Angola−0.30

Sierra Leone−0.27

Malaysia−0.25

Sri Lanka−0.24

Full ranking: political corruption index 2025


1	Denmark Take the test	0.00	+0.00	Liberal democracy	0.88
2	Sweden Take the test	0.01	+0.00	Liberal democracy	0.85
3	Norway Take the test	0.01	+0.00	Liberal democracy	0.85
4	Singapore	0.01	+0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.36
5	Iceland Take the test	0.01	+0.00	Liberal democracy	0.72
6	New Zealand Take the test	0.01	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.79
7	Switzerland Take the test	0.02	−0.00	Liberal democracy	0.84
8	Germany Take the test	0.02	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.78
9	Estonia	0.03	−0.00	Liberal democracy	0.84
10	Luxembourg Take the test	0.03	−0.00	Liberal democracy	0.78
11	Canada Take the test	0.03	+0.00	Electoral democracy	0.74
12	Netherlands Take the test	0.03	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.77
13	Australia Take the test	0.03	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.79
14	Belgium Take the test	0.03	±0.00	Liberal democracy	0.79
15	Finland Take the test	0.03	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.81
16	Ireland Take the test	0.03	+0.00	Liberal democracy	0.82
17	United Kingdom Take the test	0.04	+0.00	Electoral democracy	0.69
18	Japan Take the test	0.05	−0.03	Liberal democracy	0.73
19	Seychelles	0.05	−0.15	Liberal democracy	0.68
20	Uruguay Take the test	0.06	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.79
21	France Take the test	0.06	+0.00	Liberal democracy	0.80
22	United States Take the test	0.06	+0.01	Electoral democracy	0.57
23	Latvia	0.07	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.75
24	Barbados	0.07	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.68
25	Chile Take the test	0.07	−0.01	Liberal democracy	0.78
26	Slovenia	0.08	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.59
27	Poland Take the test	0.08	+0.01	Electoral democracy	0.65
28	Hong Kong	0.09	−0.00	Closed autocracy	0.14
29	Austria Take the test	0.10	+0.05	Liberal democracy	0.76
30	Trinidad and Tobago	0.10	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.67
31	United Arab Emirates	0.10	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.08
32	Israel	0.11	±0.00	Electoral democracy	0.59
33	Spain Take the test	0.11	+0.06	Liberal democracy	0.74
34	Bhutan	0.15	+0.05	Electoral democracy	0.46
35	South Korea Take the test	0.16	−0.08	Liberal democracy	0.74
36	Italy Take the test	0.16	−0.04	Liberal democracy	0.64
37	Lithuania	0.16	+0.01	Liberal democracy	0.71
38	Portugal Take the test	0.17	+0.07	Electoral democracy	0.72
39	Cyprus	0.17	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.66
40	Czechia Take the test	0.17	−0.05	Liberal democracy	0.79
41	Suriname	0.17	−0.06	Electoral democracy	0.63
42	Malta Take the test	0.19	−0.03	Electoral democracy	0.62
43	Benin	0.19	−0.34	Electoral autocracy	0.32
44	Botswana	0.20	+0.05	Electoral democracy	0.52
45	Costa Rica Take the test	0.21	+0.02	Liberal democracy	0.81
46	Jamaica	0.21	+0.08	Electoral democracy	0.68
47	Taiwan	0.21	−0.10	Liberal democracy	0.70
48	Timor-Leste	0.25	−0.04	Electoral democracy	0.55
49	Oman	0.25	−0.00	Closed autocracy	0.14
50	Croatia	0.25	−0.05	Electoral democracy	0.59
51	The Gambia	0.27	−0.31	Electoral democracy	0.52
52	Namibia	0.27	+0.09	Electoral democracy	0.52
53	Greece Take the test	0.28	+0.13	Electoral democracy	0.57
54	Sri Lanka	0.28	−0.24	Electoral democracy	0.61
55	Cape Verde	0.29	+0.08	Electoral democracy	0.63
56	Georgia	0.29	+0.19	Electoral autocracy	0.28
57	Fiji	0.29	+0.04	Electoral democracy	0.40
58	Sao Tome and Principe	0.29	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.52
59	Slovakia	0.29	+0.00	Electoral democracy	0.57
60	Maldives	0.31	−0.42	Electoral democracy	0.42
61	Malaysia	0.32	−0.25	Electoral democracy	0.35
62	Moldova	0.33	−0.47	Electoral democracy	0.45
63	Saudi Arabia	0.33	−0.14	Closed autocracy	0.05
64	Tanzania	0.33	−0.10	Electoral autocracy	0.30
65	Qatar	0.33	−0.08	Closed autocracy	0.09
66	Vanuatu	0.33	−0.09	Electoral democracy	0.62
67	Kuwait	0.35	−0.18	Closed autocracy	0.13
68	Kosovo	0.35	−0.16	Electoral democracy	0.46
69	Mauritius	0.36	−0.10	Electoral democracy	0.64
70	Palestine (Gaza)	0.37	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.06
71	Burkina Faso	0.37	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.10
72	Colombia Take the test	0.39	−0.00	Electoral democracy	0.56
73	Senegal	0.40	+0.09	Electoral democracy	0.48
74	Tunisia	0.41	+0.09	Electoral autocracy	0.27
75	Belarus	0.41	+0.07	Closed autocracy	0.04
76	Argentina Take the test	0.41	−0.11	Electoral democracy	0.52
77	Rwanda	0.42	±0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.09
78	Romania	0.42	−0.02	Electoral democracy	0.46
79	Jordan	0.42	−0.10	Closed autocracy	0.27
80	Brazil Take the test	0.42	−0.08	Electoral democracy	0.70
81	Zambia	0.43	+0.13	Electoral autocracy	0.38
82	Montenegro	0.43	−0.10	Electoral democracy	0.50
83	Palestine (West Bank)	0.46	+0.13	Electoral autocracy	0.11
84	Vietnam	0.47	−0.04	Closed autocracy	0.10
85	Lesotho	0.47	−0.09	Electoral democracy	0.51
86	Armenia	0.47	−0.38	Electoral democracy	0.37
87	Bahrain	0.48	−0.03	Closed autocracy	0.06
88	Panama	0.48	−0.09	Electoral democracy	0.57
89	Hungary	0.49	+0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.32
90	Guyana	0.51	+0.09	Electoral democracy	0.33
91	Zanzibar	0.52	−0.14	Electoral autocracy	0.25
92	Ethiopia	0.53	−0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.10
93	South Africa Take the test	0.54	+0.05	Electoral democracy	0.63
94	China	0.55	+0.07	Closed autocracy	0.04
95	Eswatini	0.55	+0.06	Closed autocracy	0.10
96	Somaliland	0.56	−0.13	Electoral autocracy	0.30
97	Nepal	0.56	−0.09	Electoral democracy	0.51
98	Kenya	0.56	−0.04	Electoral democracy	0.45
99	Angola	0.57	−0.30	Electoral autocracy	0.16
100	Sierra Leone	0.57	−0.27	Electoral autocracy	0.35
101	Mexico Take the test	0.57	−0.15	Electoral autocracy	0.22
102	Dominican Republic	0.59	−0.14	Electoral democracy	0.51
103	Niger	0.59	+0.06	Closed autocracy	0.18
104	Ivory Coast	0.60	+0.09	Electoral autocracy	0.23
105	Solomon Islands	0.60	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.54
106	Ghana	0.61	+0.01	Electoral democracy	0.61
107	Guatemala	0.62	−0.15	Electoral democracy	0.52
108	Syria	0.62	−0.32	Closed autocracy	0.05
109	Albania	0.62	−0.14	Electoral autocracy	0.38
110	Malawi	0.63	−0.01	Electoral democracy	0.46
111	Peru Take the test	0.63	+0.11	Electoral democracy	0.51
112	Thailand	0.64	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.31
113	Ukraine	0.64	−0.14	Electoral autocracy	0.24
114	Cuba	0.64	+0.03	Closed autocracy	0.06
115	Bulgaria	0.64	+0.12	Electoral democracy	0.50
116	Ecuador Take the test	0.65	−0.06	Electoral democracy	0.39
117	Algeria	0.66	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.13
118	North Korea	0.67	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.01
119	Morocco	0.67	−0.04	Closed autocracy	0.25
120	El Salvador	0.68	+0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.09
121	India Take the test	0.68	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.26
122	Papua New Guinea	0.68	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.38
123	Mongolia	0.69	+0.05	Electoral democracy	0.42
124	Mozambique	0.69	+0.20	Electoral autocracy	0.17
125	Djibouti	0.71	+0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.12
126	Sudan	0.72	−0.12	Closed autocracy	0.03
127	Mali	0.72	−0.07	Closed autocracy	0.15
128	Gabon	0.72	−0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.18
129	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.73	+0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.34
130	Egypt	0.73	−0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.12
131	Kazakhstan	0.74	−0.11	Electoral autocracy	0.13
132	Honduras	0.75	−0.10	Electoral democracy	0.38
133	Eritrea	0.75	+0.04	Closed autocracy	0.01
134	North Macedonia	0.75	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.37
135	Togo	0.76	+0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.16
136	Bolivia	0.76	+0.10	Electoral democracy	0.35
137	Laos	0.77	−0.02	Closed autocracy	0.11
138	Iran	0.77	+0.04	Electoral autocracy	0.10
139	Afghanistan	0.77	−0.14	Closed autocracy	0.02
140	Comoros	0.77	+0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.13
141	Bangladesh	0.78	−0.10	Closed autocracy	0.12
142	Russia	0.78	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.06
143	Haiti	0.79	−0.07	Closed autocracy	0.10
144	Kyrgyzstan	0.79	−0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.18
145	Serbia	0.79	+0.14	Electoral autocracy	0.21
146	Indonesia	0.80	+0.10	Electoral autocracy	0.30
147	Paraguay	0.80	−0.04	Electoral democracy	0.38
148	Pakistan	0.80	−0.08	Electoral autocracy	0.18
149	Türkiye	0.80	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.11
150	Guinea	0.81	−0.06	Closed autocracy	0.10
151	Libya	0.81	+0.03	Closed autocracy	0.10
152	Uzbekistan	0.82	−0.03	Closed autocracy	0.08
153	Mauritania	0.82	−0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.13
154	Guinea-Bissau	0.83	−0.01	Closed autocracy	0.10
155	Lebanon	0.83	+0.10	Electoral autocracy	0.27
156	Nigeria Take the test	0.83	−0.10	Electoral democracy	0.31
157	Philippines Take the test	0.84	+0.13	Electoral autocracy	0.29
158	Republic of the Congo	0.84	+0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.12
159	Burundi	0.84	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.06
160	Zimbabwe	0.85	+0.11	Electoral autocracy	0.15
161	Central African Republic	0.85	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.10
162	Equatorial Guinea	0.86	+0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.05
163	Myanmar	0.86	+0.33	Closed autocracy	0.01
164	Somalia	0.87	−0.06	Closed autocracy	0.13
165	Liberia	0.88	+0.03	Electoral democracy	0.42
166	Madagascar	0.88	+0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.19
167	Democratic Republic of the Congo	0.89	−0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.12
168	Uganda	0.89	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.17
169	Azerbaijan	0.89	−0.06	Electoral autocracy	0.05
170	Iraq	0.89	+0.02	Electoral autocracy	0.22
171	South Sudan	0.89	+0.02	Closed autocracy	0.06
172	Tajikistan	0.89	−0.05	Electoral autocracy	0.04
173	Turkmenistan	0.90	−0.03	Closed autocracy	0.03
174	Yemen	0.90	+0.01	Closed autocracy	0.04
175	Cambodia	0.90	+0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.05
176	Cameroon	0.94	+0.00	Electoral autocracy	0.11
177	Nicaragua	0.94	+0.07	Electoral autocracy	0.02
178	Chad	0.95	−0.01	Electoral autocracy	0.06
179	Venezuela	0.97	+0.03	Electoral autocracy	0.04

Scores run from 0 to 1. Higher means more corruption. Click a column heading to sort. Countries with a CoreOpinion test link to it.

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the least political corruption on the V-Dem political corruption index?

Denmark, with a score of 0.00 in 2025, followed by Sweden and Norway.

What does the political corruption index measure?

It measures bribery, embezzlement and theft of public funds in the executive, the legislature, the courts and the public sector. Scores run from 0 to 1, and higher means more corruption.

Where does this data come from?

From the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) dataset, version 16, which combines assessments by thousands of country experts. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where do you stand?

See how your own views compare with the parties in your country. CoreOpinion has political tests for 46 countries.

Find your country's test

Source and licence

All scores come from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Country-Year dataset, version 16, produced by the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg. V-Dem combines the judgements of thousands of country experts into indices that run from 0 to 1, and reports measurement uncertainty for each one. Figures here refer to 2025, with changes measured against 2015. Small differences between countries, of a few hundredths, are often within that uncertainty.

The V-Dem data is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. The rankings and tables on these pages are derived from it and shared under the same licence. See v-dem.net for the full dataset and codebook.