A record high of 89% responded that corruption in the U.S. government is widespread.
A survey conducted by the research firm Gallup found that Americans' perception of the government is at its worst in the past 20 years.
Record-High 89% in US Say Government Corruption Widespread
The percentage of people who answered 'yes' to the question, 'Do you think corruption is rampant throughout the government?' increased from 73% in 2024 to 79% in 2025, and is projected to reach 89% in 2026. This figure is the worst since 2006.
The perception of widespread corruption has spread among Democratic supporters since the shift in power from Democrats to Republicans in 2025. The following chart shows Republican supporters' responses (red line) and Democratic supporters' responses (blue line). The percentage of Republican supporters has decreased slightly since the shift in power from Joe Biden to Donald Trump.
However, there seems to be a difference in how people define corruption. Democratic supporters focus on which party is in power, while Republican supporters believe that fundamental corruption exists regardless of the administration, Gallup points out.
Other countries also recognize a high level of corruption within their borders. For example, Lebanon in 2024 (92%), Peru in 2025 (92%), and Ghana and Nigeria in 2024 (both 90%). The United States' figure of 89% is just as bad as these countries, and according to Gallup, only these four countries have exceeded 89% among the 132 countries to which they ask this question annually since 2023.
A public opinion survey conducted among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) revealed that the median perception of corruption in OECD countries has fallen from 69% in 2009 to below 60% from 2022 onwards. In the early stages of the survey, countries such as Greece, Hungary, and the Czech Republic showed values exceeding 90%, but the highest levels of corruption perception among OECD member countries gradually declined over time, settling at 79% in 2025.
Furthermore, it is said that people who believe their own government is corrupt often also believe their own companies are corrupt. However, in 2026, the United States deviated somewhat from this trend, with the difference in the percentage of government corruption and corporate corruption reaching 18 points. Apparently, there are very few countries where the gap is this large.
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