Which has higher public sector corruption index, South Korea or Taiwan?

South Korea, at 0.162 against 0.155 in Taiwan as of 2025.

How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Taiwan?

126 years are reported by both, from 1900 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.

South Korea vs Taiwan: Public Sector Corruption Index

South Korea

0.162

in 2025

Taiwan

0.155

in 2025

South Korea rank

138th

Taiwan rank

139th

Public Sector Corruption Index over time

South Korea
Taiwan

How they compare

South Korea currently reports 0.162 against 0.155 in Taiwan, a difference of 0.007.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 126 shared years of data; in 1900 it was South Korea ahead.

South Korea ranks 138th and Taiwan ranks 139th of 176 countries.

Across the 13 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 9 and Taiwan in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade	South Korea	Taiwan	Difference	Ahead
1900s	0.721	0.057	0.664	South Korea
1910s	0.714	0.057	0.657	South Korea
1920s	0.714	0.057	0.657	South Korea
1930s	0.714	0.057	0.657	South Korea
1940s	0.6479	0.3	0.3479	South Korea
1950s	0.526	0.3901	0.1359	South Korea
1960s	0.472	0.349	0.123	South Korea
1970s	0.472	0.3239	0.1481	South Korea
1980s	0.4117	0.2876	0.1241	South Korea
1990s	0.1996	0.208	0.0084	Taiwan
2000s	0.0843	0.154	0.0697	Taiwan
2010s	0.0922	0.1507	0.0585	Taiwan
2020s	0.1143	0.1662	0.0518	Taiwan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher public sector corruption index, South Korea or Taiwan?: South Korea, at 0.162 against 0.155 in Taiwan as of 2025.
What is the difference in public sector corruption index between South Korea and Taiwan?: 0.007, with South Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Taiwan?: 126 years are reported by both, from 1900 to 2025.
How do South Korea and Taiwan rank globally for public sector corruption index?: South Korea ranks 138th and Taiwan ranks 139th 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).