Find Politically Exposed Persons worldwide

We consolidate global data sources about public office holders into an easy-to-use dataset.

What are Politically Exposed Persons?

Politically exposed persons (PEP) is a term from the financial services industry to describe individuals who have been entrusted with a prominent public function. This might include members of cabinets, parliaments, senior public servants and military personnel, or managers of state-owned companies.

Being classified as a PEP does not imply any misconduct. However, the concept is important because PEPs and members of their families should be the subject of enhanced public scrutiny. Identifying PEPs and conducting enhanced due diligence on the origins of their wealth is mandated by financial crime laws in most countries.

Our take on PEP data

The scope of PEP data is less well-defined compared to anti-money laundering datasets such as sanctions lists. Our goal is therefore to make the scope and depth of our data coverage transparent and publish the underlying methodology.

By mapping out the political positions that should be included on a country-by-country basis, we define quality metrics that measure coverage across time, jurisdiction and level of government.

We focus on automating the collection of PEP data rather than relying on the manual monitoring political events and election results. Our ultimate objective is to help expand the coverage of political persons in community-driven data resources like Wikidata. This way, the information ultimately becomes a commodity, produced via a distributed process.

Data coverage

Our top priority is comprehensive coverage of PEPs at national level of influence.

PositionsPEPsRCAs
Africa
Eastern Africa
British Indian Ocean Territory44-
Burundi593611
Comoros4494-
Djibouti70122-
Eritrea4153-
Ethiopia921559
French Southern Territories24-
Kenya1791,2567
Madagascar814584
Malawi784068
Mauritius701531
Mayotte229-
Mozambique1237363
Rwanda712723
Réunion3115-
Seychelles45781
Somalia785194
Somaliland7102-
South Sudan1301,16212
Tanzania879965
Uganda1291,05312
Zambia80369-
Zimbabwe848969
Middle Africa
Angola1389416
Cameroon1301,07812
Central African Republic1436593
Chad1274144
Congo1117992
DR Congo1972,28912
Equatorial Guinea1877166
Gabon973665
Sao Tome and Principe4399-
Zaire-3-
Northern Africa
Algeria1057399
Egypt10898950
Libya783584
Morocco841,15140
Sudan1636452
Tunisia8178726
Western Sahara413-
Southern Africa
Botswana621436
Eswatini511642
Lesotho742616
Namibia663582
South Africa1,2803,28041
Western Africa
Benin632747
Burkina Faso744743
Cabo Verde53178-
Canary Islands735-
Côte d’Ivoire993805
Gambia462782
Ghana1011,27321
Guinea8931911
Guinea-Bissau59216-
Liberia521773
Mali843863
Mauritania732623
Niger774115
Nigeria16,12625,93174
Saint Helena415-
Senegal9836510
Sierra Leone802951
Togo863633
Americas
Caribbean
Anguilla1325-
Antigua and Barbuda38641
Aruba2644-
Bahamas661061
Barbados76932
British Virgin Islands1741-
Caymans69106-
Cuba8764513
Curaçao832-
Dominica4871-
Dominican Republic692993
Grenada42521
Guadeloupe386-
Haiti522415
Jamaica641445
Martinique11-
Montserrat1118-
Puerto Rico81822
Saint Barthélemy321-
Saint Kitts and Nevis35494
Saint Lucia46613
Saint Martin (French Part)426-
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines39452
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)741-
Trinidad and Tobago871891
Turks and Caicos Islands19481
United States Virgin Islands620-
Central America
Belize641786
Costa Rica621818
El Salvador501615
Guatemala583958
Honduras643172
Mexico1475,576101
Nicaragua531684
Panama431924
Northern America
Bermuda41811
Canada3244,077151
Greenland92253-
Saint Pierre and Miquelon546-
United States7,67958,6291,957
South America
Argentina1451,66499
Bolivia554613
Brazil25,000118,419191
Chile1,0548,19783
Colombia5,80915,58344
Ecuador7543832
Falklands631-
French Guiana110-
Guyana521051
Paraguay582411
Peru941,21240
Suriname481906
Uruguay8686,43818
Venezuela13573816
Asia
Central Asia
Kazakhstan8563318
Kyrgyzstan693774
Tajikistan571581
Turkmenistan473116
Uzbekistan7939911
Eastern Asia
China25213,430239
Hong Kong6960756
Japan5183,483213
Macao456-
Mongolia532656
North Korea11688422
South Korea1492,535161
Taiwan1572,251122
Tibet113-
South-eastern Asia
Brunei Darussalam5413317
Cambodia7131011
Indonesia5162,273186
Laos573582
Malaysia2011,67667
Myanmar11458212
Philippines1811,812148
Singapore15,09019,58118
Thailand12075753
Timor-Leste542975
Vietnam861,20620
Southern Asia
Afghanistan1087388
Bangladesh912,07055
Bhutan3814512
India32315,023457
Iran1241,83974
Maldives592447
Nepal881,54921
Pakistan1794,51477
Sri Lanka971,11994
Western Asia
Abkhazia27127-
Armenia7881,87534
Artsakh9671
Azerbaijan9441343
Bahrain7423815
Cyprus9735222
Georgia3,9197,23557
Iraq7674919
Israel159972156
Jordan9943142
Kurdistan11-
Kuwait6826915
Lebanon7545441
Northern Cyprus61021
Oman6917011
Palestine12147057
Qatar5812120
Saudi Arabia9656367
South Ossetia (Occupied Georgia)1878-
Syria7954467
Türkiye1243,87479
United Arab Emirates9820235
Yemen9358616
Europe
Central Europe
Austria1,0033,120144
Czechia1663,026168
Czechoslovakia11,674124
East Germany157823
Germany4209,888284
Hungary1671,199102
Poland2223,897259
Slovenia27253239
Eastern Europe
Belarus2311,20743
Bulgaria2,1327,58151
Crimea434-
Donetsk (Occupied Ukraine)10612
Luhansk (Occupied Ukraine)7201
Moldova696919
Romania3,6847,64463
Russia37614,375849
Slovakia1,2422,43147
Soviet Union174,945708
Transnistria221171
Ukraine1432,752172
Yugoslavia255451
Northern Europe
Denmark6341,977168
Estonia83701178
Faroe Islands1092791
Finland11613,114157
Guernsey10901
Iceland8333824
Ireland11784252
Isle of Man20911
Jersey221071
Latvia6959626
Lithuania28839,75530
Northern Ireland18277-
Norway2601,485170
Sark146-
Scotland59315-
Svalbard221
Sweden2401,857168
United Kingdom9687,7551,231
Wales501457
Åland Islands1162-
Southern Europe
Albania6359118
Andorra571033
Bosnia and Herzegovina1112525
Croatia2,2643,49915
Gibraltar1452-
Greece2501,598148
Holy See (Vatican)5155-
Italy5863,776198
Kosovo49452-
Malta1022337
Montenegro4,10711,2833
North Macedonia2,2349,7563
Portugal1451,42239
San Marino311751
Serbia901,14430
Serbia and Montenegro2999
Spain2,8967,976457
Western Europe
Belgium8132,30781
France84,62861,813931
Liechtenstein3516515
Luxembourg11537636
Monaco4013610
Netherlands7052,80987
Switzerland1111,47674
Oceania
Australia and New Zealand
Australia4702,698136
Christmas Island33-
Cocos Islands33-
New Zealand145720111
Norfolk Island512-
Melanesia
Fiji763061
New Caledonia666-
Papua New Guinea1042596
Solomon Islands471291
Vanuatu351352
Micronesia
Guam757-
Kiribati38982
Marshall Islands29582
Micronesia35662
Nauru8253-
Northern Mariana Islands630-
Palau32501
Polynesia
American Samoa524-
Cook Islands4354-
French Polynesia777-
Niue1732-
Pitcairn726-
Samoa431625
Tokelau56-
Tonga528613
Tuvalu35482
Wallis and Futuna Islands742-
Supranational
European Union723,9982
Global182024
United Nations151165

Where is our PEP data sourced from?

OpenSanctions automatically monitors and imports global databases into our data, such as lists of world leaders. We are also expanding our coverage of nationally published data, such as lists of parliamentarians or state governors. We enrich the PEP data with further information about the potential influence of officeholders, e.g. to reflect a person holding both a public office and running a business.

NamePublisherCountryUpdatesEntities
Argentina Members of ParliamentHCDN Argentinadaily258
Armenia Public Officials and AssociatesHetq Online  non-officialArmenia8,600
Austria Public OfficialsMeine Abgeordneten  non-officialAustriadaily1,656
Brazil Politically Exposed PersonsCGU Brazilweekly135,286
Bulgaria Judiciary Asset DeclarationsИВСС Bulgariaweekly7,500
Cayman Islands Members of ParliamentParliament of the Cayman Islands Caymansdaily81
Cayman Islands Senior Judicial OfficersCayman Islands Judicial Administration Caymansweekly46
China National People's Congress on WikipediaWikipedia  non-officialGlobal2,945
Colombian Joining the Dots PEPsDirectorio Legislativo/EITI  non-officialColombiadaily188
Colombian PEP DeclarationsDAFP Colombiadaily20,551
Croatia State Registry of Public OfficialsSukobu Interesa Croatiaweekly4,968
Cuba Members of the ParliamentProyecto Inventario  non-officialCubamonthly471
Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland PEPsFinanstilsynet Denmarkweekly1,863
Estonia Members of the RiigikoguRiigikogu Estoniadaily102
EU Prominent Public FunctionsOJEU European Uniondaily1,392
European Commitee of the Regions MembersCoR European Unionweekly664
European Parliament MembersEP European Unionweekly934
Every PoliticianMySociety  non-official58,361
French MayorsMIOM Franceweekly68,879
French National AssemblyNational Assembly of France Franceweekly4,100
French SenatorsSénat Franceweekly898
Georgia Public Official Asset DeclarationsACB Georgia23,842
German Legislators from AbgeordnetenWatchParlamentwatch e.V.  non-officialGermanydaily2,536
Hong Kong Legislative Council MembersHong Kong Legislative Council Hong Kongweekly195
Hong Kong Principal OfficialsGovHK Hong Kongweekly52
Iceland parliamentAlþingi Icelanddaily64
Indonesia 2018 Regional Head Election ResultsKPI Indonesia652
Israel Knesset MembersKnesset Israeldaily475
Latvian SaeimaSaeima Latviaweekly101
Lithuania Members of the SeimasSeimas Lithuaniaweekly142
Lithuania PEPs from the register of private interestsVTEK Lithuaniamonthly67,719
Mexico Chamber of DeputiesCámara de Diputados Mexicoweekly501
Mexico GovernorsCONAGO  non-officialMexico208
Mexico SenateSenado de La República Mexicoweekly129
Montenegro declarations of interests by public officialsACK Montenegroweekly15,322
Netherlands House of RepresentativesTweede Kamer Netherlandsweekly148
Nigeria Joining the Dots PEPs and PEP RelativesDirectorio Legislativo/EITI  non-officialNigeriadaily4,395
Nigerian Politically Exposed Persons data by ChipperChipper  non-officialNigeriadaily40,806
North Macedonia Elected and Appointed OfficialsSCPC North Macedoniaweekly11,396
PEPs from Chile Interest and Asset DeclarationsCPLT Chiledaily8,159
Romania FIU Public OfficialsONPCSB Romaniaweekly77
Singapore Government DirectorySGD Singaporeweekly34,404
Slovakia Public OfficialsNR SR Slovakiaweekly2,903
Slovenian Political Officials from ZvezoskopOštro  non-officialSlovenia370
South Africa Municipal LeadershipNT South Africaweekly1,565
South Africa National and Provincial LegislatorsPMG  non-officialSouth Africadaily1,962
Thailand Cabinet of MinistersSOC Thailanddaily52
Türkiye Grand National AssemblyTBMM Türkiyeweekly593
UN Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign AffairsDGACM monthly1,044
United States Periodically Listing Updates to Management (PLUM) ReportingOPM United Statesdaily12,461
Uruguayan Politically Exposed Persons (PEP)SENACLAFT Uruguayweekly6,814
US CIA World Factbook Heads of State and GovernmentCIA United Statesweekly879
US CIA World LeadersCIA United Statesdaily10,983
US Legislators by Plural (formerly OpenStates)Plural  non-officialUnited Statesweekly12,563
US Members of the CongressCongress United Statesdaily1,256
US Navy LeadershipNavy United Statesdaily580
US State Department Senior OfficialsState United Statesweekly465
Venezuela Members of the National AssemblyAsamblea Nacional de Venezuela Venezuelaweekly276
Wikidata Persons in Relevant CategoriesWikidata  non-officialdaily374,539
Wikidata Politically Exposed PersonsWikidata  non-officialdaily285,488

Official sources are government authorities and inter-governmental agencies. Non-official sources are community, civil-society or journalistic organisations, including:

  • Wikidata Politically Exposed Persons data is maintained by volunteers in a similar manner to the rest of the Wikimedia Foundation projects. OpenSanctions monitors specific positions in national and sub-national legislatures, executives and senior administrators for changes. As a volunteer-driven project, there are very limited guarantees of how up-to-date the information is.
  • mySociety's EveryPolitician project contains a significant foundation of data for national legislatures. However, its maintenance ended in June 2019 and the data is quickly becoming more outdated. We aim to remove or replace this dataset in time.

How do I use the data?

You can download the PEP bulk data or look up individual entries using the web search or API. Commercial users can license the dataset as part of the OpenSanctions bulk data license. We do not offer a separate licensing option for PEPs data alone.

Our methodology documentation explains how PEP position information can be used to select custom subsets of the data for specific use cases.

How can I help?

If you want to help map out political positions and their office holders, please consider using one of the following paths:

  • Want to add or enrich individual PEP profiles? Contribute to Wikidata's WikiProject Every Politician. This is a community-driven effort to maintain a database of political positions. Like all Wikipedia projects, it has community review and verification standards. Start by getting a sense of Wikidata's political data model, and allow for a delay of several days for Wikidata edits to be reflected in OpenSanctions.
  • Want to add a bulk data crawler? Our crawlers are open source code, using the zavod data collection framework (Python). Check out the data inclusion criteria, and the crawler writing tutorial. Our data source wishlist is a good source of inspiration.
  • Want to partner up? Please feel free to reach out to us to discuss other ideas for collaboration. As we are cleaning up and enhancing the position listings above using bulk data processing techniques, individual corrections sent via email will be of somewhat limited benefit.