Americans have long suspected that corruption is more rampant in government than in business, but that gap has now hit a record high. According to a Gallup report released Wednesday, 89% of U.S. adults say corruption is widespread in government, while 71% say the same about businesses. That's an 18-point difference, the largest in Gallup's trend data.
The jump is notable: government corruption perceptions rose 10 percentage points from last year, and business perceptions rose 8 points. Historically, from 2006 to 2025, the average gap was just 11 points. Gallup notes that views on government and business corruption usually move together, but the U.S. is increasingly diverging from that pattern.
Government Corruption Outpaces Business
The 18-point gap is unprecedented in Gallup's polling. While both figures rose this year, the increase in government corruption perceptions was steeper, widening the divide. Gallup's data suggests that when people lose faith in their government, they often extend that skepticism to businesses, but that correlation is weakening.
Business Corruption Also Rises
Business corruption perceptions climbed to 71% this year, up from 63% in 2025. Gallup didn't offer specific reasons or point to particular industries behind the increase, but recent events have put government-business relationships under a microscope.
In August, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) accused Belgium's diamond industry of seeking favorable treatment from the Trump administration after a $1 million diamond-encrusted ring was gifted to President Donald Trump, and European diamonds later received a tariff exemption. Warren called the sequence "cartoonish corruption."
Last month, the Treasury Department finalized a rule exempting U.S. companies and individuals from certain beneficial-ownership reporting requirements. Warren criticized the move, arguing that weaker disclosure rules could make it easier for criminals to hide behind shell companies.
Concern Spans Political Parties
The worry about government corruption isn't confined to one party. Majorities of Democrats, independents, and Republicans all say corruption is widespread. Democrats lead at 91%, up from 57% in 2024, followed by independents at 90% and Republicans at 83%. The partisan gap has narrowed in recent years.
America's perception also stands out globally. The U.S. figure remains well above the 2025 OECD median of 59%, when 79% of Americans saw government corruption as widespread. Comparable 2026 data for all OECD countries isn't available yet, but the trend suggests the U.S. is an outlier in its cynicism.
Image via Shutterstock
