Japan vs United States: Public sector corruption index
Japan
0.036
in 2025
United States
0.029
in 2025
Japan rank
159th
United States rank
161st
Public sector corruption index over time
- Japan
- United States
How they compare
Japan currently reports 0.036 against 0.029 in United States, a difference of 0.007.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.2 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 237 shared years of data; in 1789 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 159th and United States ranks 161st of 176 countries.
Across the 25 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 18 and United States in 7.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1780s | 0.205 | 0.17 | 0.035 | Japan |
| 1790s | 0.205 | 0.17 | 0.035 | Japan |
| 1800s | 0.205 | 0.17 | 0.035 | Japan |
| 1810s | 0.205 | 0.17 | 0.035 | Japan |
| 1820s | 0.205 | 0.17 | 0.035 | Japan |
| 1830s | 0.205 | 0.17 | 0.035 | Japan |
| 1840s | 0.205 | 0.17 | 0.035 | Japan |
| 1850s | 0.205 | 0.17 | 0.035 | Japan |
| 1860s | 0.1858 | 0.17 | 0.0158 | Japan |
| 1870s | 0.068 | 0.17 | 0.102 | United States |
| 1880s | 0.1274 | 0.17 | 0.0426 | United States |
| 1890s | 0.134 | 0.17 | 0.036 | United States |
| 1900s | 0.134 | 0.17 | 0.036 | United States |
| 1910s | 0.134 | 0.0776 | 0.0564 | Japan |
| 1920s | 0.134 | 0.0854 | 0.0486 | Japan |
| 1930s | 0.134 | 0.055 | 0.079 | Japan |
| 1940s | 0.1156 | 0.055 | 0.0606 | Japan |
| 1950s | 0.0593 | 0.049 | 0.0103 | Japan |
| 1960s | 0.047 | 0.049 | 0.002 | United States |
| 1970s | 0.047 | 0.0413 | 0.0057 | Japan |
| 1980s | 0.047 | 0.043 | 0.004 | Japan |
| 1990s | 0.0448 | 0.033 | 0.0118 | Japan |
| 2000s | 0.036 | 0.033 | 0.003 | Japan |
| 2010s | 0.036 | 0.0442 | 0.0082 | United States |
| 2020s | 0.036 | 0.0422 | 0.0062 | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher public sector corruption index, Japan or United States?
- Japan, at 0.036 against 0.029 in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in public sector corruption index between Japan and United States?
- 0.007, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United States?
- 237 years are reported by both, from 1789 to 2025.
- How do Japan and United States rank globally for public sector corruption index?
- Japan ranks 159th and United States ranks 161st of 176 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- 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.