Executive Corruption Index in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Executive Corruption Index was 0.228 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
0.228
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
123rd
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.655
in 1842
All-time low
0.133
in 1990
Years of data
188
1838–2025

Executive Corruption Index in Costa Rica, 1838–2025

0.20.40.6183819312025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Costa Rica recorded 0.228 for executive corruption index in 2025.

That represents a change of up 34.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, executive corruption index in Costa Rica peaked at 0.655 in 1842 and was at its lowest, 0.133, in 1990.

Costa Rica ranks 123rd of 176 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 188 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1830s 0.307 0.307 0.307 2
1840s 0.3743 0.307 0.655 10
1850s 0.632 0.632 0.632 10
1860s 0.38 0.38 0.38 10
1870s 0.432 0.432 0.432 10
1880s 0.432 0.432 0.432 10
1890s 0.432 0.432 0.432 10
1900s 0.432 0.432 0.432 10
1910s 0.4494 0.432 0.49 10
1920s 0.381 0.381 0.381 10
1930s 0.381 0.381 0.381 10
1940s 0.3717 0.243 0.426 10
1950s 0.229 0.229 0.229 10
1960s 0.2053 0.15 0.229 10
1970s 0.15 0.15 0.15 10
1980s 0.15 0.15 0.15 10
1990s 0.133 0.133 0.133 10
2000s 0.1554 0.133 0.189 10
2010s 0.1738 0.148 0.221 10
2020s 0.1927 0.175 0.228 6

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 120 Maldives 0.265 compare
  2. 121 Guatemala 0.248 compare
  3. 122 Cape Verde 0.229 compare
  4. 124 Greece 0.227 compare
  5. 125 United Arab Emirates 0.226 compare
  6. 126 Zambia 0.213 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is executive corruption index in Costa Rica?
Executive corruption index in Costa Rica was 0.228 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest executive corruption index recorded in Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 0.655 in 1842.
What is the lowest executive corruption index recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 0.133 in 1990.
How does Costa Rica rank for executive corruption index?
Costa Rica ranks 123rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is executive corruption index rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is up 34.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Executive Corruption Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 188 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Executive Corruption Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 25,488 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Data by V-Dem. Expert estimates of the extent to which high-ranking members of the executive, such as the head of government or cabinet ministers, engage in bribery and theft. The index ranges from 0 to 1 (highly corrupt).