Public Sector Corruption Index in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Public Sector Corruption Index was 0.911 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Public Sector Corruption Index in Nicaragua, 1838–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for public sector corruption index in Nicaragua is 0.911, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public sector corruption index in Nicaragua peaked at 0.986 in 1936 and was at its lowest, 0.41, in 1992.
That places Nicaragua 6th out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 188 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 0.952 | 0.952 | 0.952 | 2 |
| 1840s | 0.952 | 0.952 | 0.952 | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.8694 | 0.539 | 0.952 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.539 | 0.539 | 0.539 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.539 | 0.539 | 0.539 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.539 | 0.539 | 0.539 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.902 | 0.9 | 0.91 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.9455 | 0.91 | 0.986 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.982 | 0.982 | 0.982 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.982 | 0.982 | 0.982 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.982 | 0.982 | 0.982 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.9684 | 0.846 | 0.982 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6174 | 0.549 | 0.751 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5532 | 0.41 | 0.782 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7614 | 0.673 | 0.823 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8244 | 0.806 | 0.834 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9138 | 0.865 | 0.95 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 3 Cameroon 0.933 compare
- 4 Turkmenistan 0.915 compare
- 5 Uganda 0.912 compare
- 7 Nigeria 0.91 compare
- 8 Papua New Guinea 0.907 compare
- 9 South Sudan 0.904 compare
More social development data for Nicaragua
- Political Rights Rating 7 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 311 (2023)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 35,341 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.151 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.018 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.042 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.151 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.098 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.019 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public sector corruption index in Nicaragua?
- Public sector corruption index in Nicaragua was 0.911 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public sector corruption index recorded in Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 0.986 in 1936.
- What is the lowest public sector corruption index recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.41 in 1992.
- How does Nicaragua rank for public sector corruption index?
- Nicaragua ranks 6th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is public sector corruption index rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nicaragua data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Public Sector 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
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).