POLL: Record 89% Of Americans Now View Government Corruption As Widespread

Nearly nine in ten American adults believe corruption is widespread throughout the federal government, marking the highest level of public distrust recorded in the United States in two decades, according to newly released polling data from Gallup.

The nationwide survey found that 89% of U.S. adults now view government corruption as pervasive. The figure represents a 10-percentage-point increase over the past year and sits well above the 72% to 79% range recorded between 2010 and 2025.

The sharpest shift came from Democrats. During former President Joe Biden’s final year in office in 2024, 57% of Democrats viewed government corruption as widespread. That share climbed to 76% in 2025 during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, and reached 91% this year.

Views among political independents shifted in a similar direction, rising 12 percentage points since 2024 to reach 90%. Republican views remained comparatively stable: about eight in ten Republicans have viewed government corruption as widespread over the past two years, registering at 83% this year compared to 87% in 2024.

The findings place the United States at the top of the 38 member nations in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for perceived public-sector corruption.

While the median level of perceived government corruption across OECD nations fell from 69% in 2009 to 59% in 2025, the U.S. rate moved in the opposite direction. By 2025, the gap between the U.S. and the OECD median reached 20 points.

Globally, Gallup noted that only four countries out of 132 surveyed annually have recorded higher figures since 2023: Lebanon in 2024 (92%), Peru in 2025 (92%), and Ghana and Nigeria in 2024 (both at 90%).

Public concern regarding the private sector also climbed, though it remains below figures for the public sector.

The survey found that 71% of Americans believe business corruption is widespread, an eight-point increase from the prior year. The resulting 18-point divide between public- and private-sector corruption perceptions represents the widest gap Gallup has recorded in the United States since tracking began in 2006.