Legislative Corruption Score in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Legislative Corruption Score was 1.7 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
1.7
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
18th
of 174 countries
All-time high
2.24
in 1946
All-time low
-1.09
in 1789
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Legislative Corruption Score in United Kingdom, 1789–2025

-1012178919072025

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

Analysis

In 2025, legislative corruption score in United Kingdom stood at 1.7.

The figure is up 21.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, legislative corruption score in United Kingdom peaked at 2.24 in 1946 and was at its lowest, -1.09, in 1789.

That places United Kingdom 18th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s -1.09 -1.09 -1.09 1
1790s -1.09 -1.09 -1.09 10
1800s -1.09 -1.09 -1.09 10
1810s -1.09 -1.09 -1.09 10
1820s -1.09 -1.09 -1.09 10
1830s -0.1957 -1.09 0.188 10
1840s 0.188 0.188 0.188 10
1850s 0.188 0.188 0.188 10
1860s 0.3498 0.188 1.81 10
1870s 1.81 1.81 1.81 10
1880s 1.81 1.81 1.81 10
1890s 1.81 1.81 1.81 10
1900s 1.81 1.81 1.81 10
1910s 1.81 1.81 1.81 10
1920s 1.81 1.81 1.81 10
1930s 1.81 1.81 1.81 10
1940s 1.98 1.81 2.24 10
1950s 2.24 2.24 2.24 10
1960s 2.24 2.24 2.24 10
1970s 1.72 1.66 2.24 10
1980s 1.66 1.66 1.66 10
1990s 1.66 1.66 1.66 10
2000s 1.43 1.4 1.66 10
2010s 1.42 1.4 1.56 10
2020s 1.6 1.48 1.74 6

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 15 Burkina Faso 1.73 compare
  2. 16 Australia 1.72 compare
  3. 17 Germany 1.71 compare
  4. 19 Canada 1.68 compare
  5. 20 Barbados 1.67 compare
  6. 21 Bhutan 1.66 compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More social development data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is legislative corruption score in United Kingdom?
Legislative corruption score in United Kingdom was 1.7 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest legislative corruption score recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 2.24 in 1946.
What is the lowest legislative corruption score recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was -1.09 in 1789.
How does United Kingdom rank for legislative corruption score?
United Kingdom ranks 18th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
Is legislative corruption score rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom 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 — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Legislative Corruption Score
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
174 places, 17,541 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

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.