Which has higher public sector corruption index, China or Zambia?

China, at 0.498 against 0.494 in Zambia as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for China and Zambia?

115 years are reported by both, from 1911 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Public Sector Corruption Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

China vs Zambia: Public Sector Corruption Index

China

0.498

in 2025

Zambia

0.494

in 2025

China rank

90th

Zambia rank

91st

Public Sector Corruption Index over time

China
Zambia

How they compare

China currently reports 0.498 against 0.494 in Zambia, a difference of 0.004.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 115 shared years of data; in 1911 it was China ahead.

China ranks 90th and Zambia ranks 91st of 176 countries.

Across the 12 decades both report, China averaged higher in 11 and Zambia in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	China	Zambia	Difference	Ahead
1910s	0.8726	0.023	0.8496	China
1920s	0.8312	0.0509	0.7803	China
1930s	0.735	0.068	0.667	China
1940s	0.7142	0.068	0.6462	China
1950s	0.359	0.0428	0.3162	China
1960s	0.359	0.1238	0.2352	China
1970s	0.3799	0.185	0.1949	China
1980s	0.6201	0.185	0.4351	China
1990s	0.6418	0.5324	0.1094	China
2000s	0.6408	0.3616	0.2792	China
2010s	0.5601	0.4485	0.1116	China
2020s	0.4892	0.5407	0.0515	Zambia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher public sector corruption index, China or Zambia?: China, at 0.498 against 0.494 in Zambia as of 2025.
What is the difference in public sector corruption index between China and Zambia?: 0.004, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Zambia?: 115 years are reported by both, from 1911 to 2025.
How do China and Zambia rank globally for public sector corruption index?: China ranks 90th and Zambia ranks 91st of 176 countries.
Where does this data come from?: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Public Sector Corruption Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Public Sector Corruption Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 25,541 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Data by V-Dem. Expert estimates of the extent to which public sector employees engage in bribery and theft. The index ranges from 0 to 1 (highly corrupt).