Government transparency in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Government transparency was 4.01 in 2010. ▲ Rising

Latest (2010)
4.01
Change on year
down 8.9%
World rank
16th
of 125 countries
All-time high
5.72
in 2000
All-time low
1.11
in 1980
Years of data
31
1980–2010

Government transparency in United Kingdom, 1980–2010

1234561980199520101980: 1.11981: 1.71982: 21983: 2.51984: 2.81985: 3.11986: 3.41987: 41988: 4.41989: 4.81990: 51991: 5.21992: 5.11993: 4.91994: 4.91995: 4.91996: 4.91997: 4.91998: 5.21999: 5.52000: 5.72001: 5.72002: 5.62003: 5.62004: 5.62005: 5.52006: 5.42007: 5.22008: 52009: 4.42010: 4

Source: Hollyer et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government transparency in United Kingdom is 4.01, measured in 2010.

The figure is down 8.9% on the previous year and down 29.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government transparency in United Kingdom peaked at 5.72 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.11, in 1980.

That places United Kingdom 16th out of 125 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.

Government transparency in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Government transparency in United Kingdom, 1980 to 2010.
Year Value Change
1980 1.11
1981 1.68 +51.2%
1982 1.97 +16.7%
1983 2.46 +25.1%
1984 2.82 +14.8%
1985 3.07 +8.8%
1986 3.45 +12.2%
1987 4.04 +17.2%
1988 4.45 +10.0%
1989 4.78 +7.5%
1990 5.03 +5.3%
1991 5.2 +3.3%
1992 5.14 -1.2%
1993 4.9 -4.6%
1994 4.91 +0.2%
1995 4.89 -0.5%
1996 4.9 +0.3%
1997 4.91 +0.1%
1998 5.22 +6.2%
1999 5.54 +6.2%
2000 5.72 +3.3%
2001 5.65 -1.3%
2002 5.64 -0.2%
2003 5.59 -1.0%
2004 5.57 -0.2%
2005 5.48 -1.7%
2006 5.37 -1.9%
2007 5.21 -3.0%
2008 4.96 -4.9%
2009 4.41 -11.1%
2010 4.01 -8.9%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 4.01 is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.87, 1.4× the median. (39 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 4.01 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.34, 93% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Government transparency in United Kingdom changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1981 +51.2% 1.11 1.68

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2.98 1.11 4.78 10
1990s 5.06 4.89 5.54 10
2000s 5.36 4.41 5.72 10
2010s 4.01 4.01 4.01 1

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 13 France 4.34 compare
  2. 14 Belgium 4.27 compare
  3. 15 Turkey 4.02 compare
  4. 17 Ireland 3.97 compare
  5. 18 Switzerland 3.59 compare
  6. 19 Greece 3.27 compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is government transparency in United Kingdom?
Government transparency in United Kingdom was 4.01 in 2010, according to Hollyer et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government transparency recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 5.72 in 2000.
What is the lowest government transparency recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 1.11 in 1980.
How does United Kingdom rank for government transparency?
United Kingdom ranks 16th out of 125 countries with data for 2010.
Is government transparency rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Hollyer et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Government transparency. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government transparency in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Hollyer et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/government-transparency/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Government transparency
Source
Hollyer et al. (2014) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
125 places, 3,875 data points, 1980–2010
Last refreshed

The scores capture the extent to which governments report economic data to the World Bank. Higher scores mean more data is reported.