GoKawiilWASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans’ perceptions of government corruption in the U.S. are at their highest level in 20 years, with 89% of U.S. adults saying it is widespread. That figure is up 10 percentage points from last year and well above readings in the 72% to 79% range between 2010 and 2025.
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Democrats’ perceptions of government corruption have risen the most sharply since 2024 compared with other party groups. In former President Joe Biden’s final year in office, 57% of Democrats said corruption was widespread in government; that rose to 76% in 2025, the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, and reached 91% this year. The figure among political independents (90%) aligns more closely with Democrats’ than with Republicans’ (83%) and is up 12 points since 2024.
Republicans’ views of corruption have changed far less in the same period. For the past two years, about eight in 10 have said corruption is widespread, broadly in line with 2024, when 87% said the same.
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Although strong majorities of Republicans and Democrats perceive government corruption as widespread, it is likely for different reasons. Democrats’ perceptions appear closely linked to which party controls the administration. Republicans’ greater consistency on this measure — despite the 2024 election delivering them the White House and Congress — suggests a more underlying view of government corruption that depends less on the party in power.
Before Recent Increase, U.S. Already Outranked Other Advanced Economies
The U.S. has increasingly diverged from other advanced economies in perceptions of government corruption, based on Gallup polling across the 38 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The median level of perceived corruption among OECD countries has fallen from 69% in 2009 to below 60% since 2022.
Full data collection for 2026 is not yet complete in all countries, so the closest comparison across the OECD is from 2025, when a median of 59% said corruption is widespread in their government.
In the early years of this trend, countries such as Greece, Hungary and the Czech Republic all saw scores above 90%. But over time, the highest levels of perceived corruption across the bloc have gradually fallen, reaching 79% in 2025 — placing the U.S. atop the OECD rankings for the first time, even before the additional 10-point increase within the past year.
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