Legislative Corruption Score in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Legislative Corruption Score was -2.35 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
-2.35
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
171st
of 174 countries
All-time high
0.127
in 1859
All-time low
-3.38
in 1950
Years of data
182
1838–2025
Legislative Corruption Score in Nicaragua, 1838–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, legislative corruption score in Nicaragua stood at -2.35.
The figure is down 81.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, legislative corruption score in Nicaragua peaked at 0.127 in 1859 and was at its lowest, -3.38, in 1950.
Nicaragua ranks 171st of 174 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Legislative Corruption Score in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1838 | -0.719 | — |
| 1839 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1840 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1841 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1842 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1843 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1844 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1845 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1846 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1847 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1848 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1849 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1850 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1851 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1852 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1853 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1854 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1855 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1856 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1857 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1858 | -0.719 | -0.0% |
| 1859 | 0.127 | -117.7% |
| 1860 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1861 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1862 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1863 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1864 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1865 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1866 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1867 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1868 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1869 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1870 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1871 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1872 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1873 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1874 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1875 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1876 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1877 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1878 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1879 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1881 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1882 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1883 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1884 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1886 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1887 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1888 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1889 | 0.127 | +0.0% |
| 1890 | -1.68 | -1424.4% |
| 1891 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1892 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1893 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1894 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1895 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1896 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1897 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1898 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1899 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1900 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1901 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1902 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1903 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1904 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1905 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1906 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1907 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1908 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1909 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1910 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1911 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1912 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1913 | -1.68 | -0.0% |
| 1914 | -1.56 | -7.1% |
| 1915 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1916 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1917 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1918 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1919 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1920 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1921 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1922 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1923 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1924 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1925 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1926 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1927 | -1.56 | -0.0% |
| 1928 | -1.98 | +26.8% |
| 1929 | -1.98 | -0.0% |
| 1930 | -1.98 | -0.0% |
| 1931 | -1.98 | -0.0% |
| 1932 | -1.98 | -0.0% |
| 1933 | -1.98 | -0.0% |
| 1934 | -1.98 | -0.0% |
| 1935 | -1.98 | -0.0% |
| 1936 | -1.98 | -0.0% |
| 1937 | -2.34 | +17.9% |
| 1938 | -2.34 | -0.0% |
| 1939 | -2.34 | -0.0% |
| 1940 | -2.34 | -0.0% |
| 1941 | -2.34 | -0.0% |
| 1942 | -2.34 | -0.0% |
| 1943 | -2.34 | -0.0% |
| 1944 | -2.34 | -0.0% |
| 1945 | -2.34 | -0.0% |
| 1946 | -2.34 | -0.0% |
| 1947 | -2.34 | -0.0% |
| 1948 | -2.78 | +18.9% |
| 1949 | -2.78 | -0.0% |
| 1950 | -3.38 | +21.5% |
| 1951 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1952 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1953 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1954 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1955 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1956 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1957 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1958 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1959 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1960 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1961 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1962 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1963 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1966 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1967 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1969 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1970 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1971 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1972 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1974 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1975 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1977 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1978 | -3.38 | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -0.822 | -75.6% |
| 1986 | -0.822 | -0.0% |
| 1987 | -0.822 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -0.822 | -0.0% |
| 1989 | -0.822 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -0.188 | -77.1% |
| 1991 | -0.551 | +193.1% |
| 1992 | -0.551 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | -0.551 | -0.0% |
| 1994 | -0.551 | -0.0% |
| 1995 | -0.551 | -0.0% |
| 1996 | -0.551 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -1.02 | +86.0% |
| 1998 | -1.02 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | -1.02 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | -1.02 | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -1.02 | -0.0% |
| 2002 | -1.02 | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -1.02 | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -1.02 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -1.02 | -0.0% |
| 2006 | -1.02 | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -1.26 | +23.4% |
| 2008 | -1.26 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -1.26 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -1.12 | -11.8% |
| 2011 | -1.12 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | -1.12 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | -1.12 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | -1.12 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | -1.3 | +16.2% |
| 2016 | -1.3 | -0.0% |
| 2017 | -1.3 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | -1.64 | +26.4% |
| 2019 | -2.19 | +33.5% |
| 2020 | -2.19 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -2.19 | -0.0% |
| 2022 | -2.19 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -1.68 | -23.4% |
| 2024 | -2.35 | +40.1% |
| 2025 | -2.35 | -0.0% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's -2.35 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is -0.747, 3.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's -2.35 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is -0.772, 3.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | -0.719 | -0.719 | -0.719 | 2 |
| 1840s | -0.719 | -0.719 | -0.719 | 10 |
| 1850s | -0.6344 | -0.719 | 0.127 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.127 | 0.127 | 0.127 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.127 | 0.127 | 0.127 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.127 | 0.127 | 0.127 | 10 |
| 1890s | -1.68 | -1.68 | -1.68 | 10 |
| 1900s | -1.68 | -1.68 | -1.68 | 10 |
| 1910s | -1.61 | -1.68 | -1.56 | 10 |
| 1920s | -1.65 | -1.98 | -1.56 | 10 |
| 1930s | -2.09 | -2.34 | -1.98 | 10 |
| 1940s | -2.42 | -2.78 | -2.34 | 10 |
| 1950s | -3.38 | -3.38 | -3.38 | 10 |
| 1960s | -3.38 | -3.38 | -3.38 | 10 |
| 1970s | -3.38 | -3.38 | -3.38 | 9 |
| 1980s | -0.822 | -0.822 | -0.822 | 5 |
| 1990s | -0.6569 | -1.02 | -0.188 | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.1 | -1.26 | -1.02 | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.33 | -2.19 | -1.12 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.16 | -2.35 | -1.68 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 168 Haiti -2.21 compare
- 169 Chad -2.25 compare
- 170 Azerbaijan -2.29 compare
- 172 Central African Republic -2.48 compare
- 173 Madagascar -2.57 compare
- 174 Afghanistan -2.74 compare
More social development data for Nicaragua
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 311 (2023)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 35,341 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.005 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 35,341 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2023)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is legislative corruption score in Nicaragua?
- Legislative corruption score in Nicaragua was -2.35 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest legislative corruption score recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 0.127 in 1859.
- What is the lowest legislative corruption score recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.38 in 1950.
- How does Nicaragua rank for legislative corruption score?
- Nicaragua ranks 171st out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is legislative corruption score rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is down 81.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Legislative Corruption Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 182 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Data by V-Dem. Expert estimates of the extent to which members of the legislature abuse their position for financial gain, such as bribes, government contracts, future employment, or stealing from the state. Higher scores mean less corruption. A score of 0 is approximately the average across all countries and years.