Historic record: 89% of Americans say government corruption is widespread

Eighty-nine percent of American adults believe that government corruption is widespread in the country. The percentage is the highest recorded in the last 20 years, according to a Gallup poll. The figure rose 10 percentage points from last year and is well above the range of 72% to 79% recorded between 2010 and 2025.

Among Republicans, 83% believe that corruption is widespread in the government. Their opinions have changed less in recent years: about eight in 10 Republicans have held this view for the past two years. In 2024, 87% of Republicans believed that corruption was widespread.

Perceptions of corruption have increased particularly among Democrats. In Joe Biden's final year in the White House, in 2024, 57% of Democrats believed that corruption was widespread in the government.

Gallup notes that, although large majorities in both parties perceive widespread corruption, the reasons may differ. Democrats' perception appears to be closely tied to which party controls the administration, while the greater stability of opinion among Republicans suggests a view of government corruption that is less tied to the party in power.

The United States surpasses other developed countries

Perceptions of corruption in the United States have also diverged from those in other developed countries, according to data compiled by Gallup among the 38 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The median percentage of people in OECD countries who believe corruption is widespread in their governments fell from 69% in 2009 to less than 60% as of 2022. In 2025, the most recent year with comparable data for all countries, the median was 59%.

That same year, the United States recorded 79%, ranking above any other OECD country for the first time. The difference from the bloc's median was 20 percentage points.