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 Territory22-
Burundi603292
Comoros40104-
Djibouti70143-
Eritrea4072-
Ethiopia916538
French Southern Territories11-
Kenya1271,0699
Madagascar784704
Malawi773523
Mauritius67159-
Mozambique1111,2345
Rwanda712833
Réunion164-
Seychelles45941
Somalia704695
Somaliland695-
South Sudan1321,24211
Tanzania781,0105
Uganda1231,0367
Zambia773852
Zimbabwe789699
Middle Africa
Angola1109685
Cameroon1281,31412
Central African Republic1466763
Chad1184464
Congo1118732
DR Congo1962,21412
Equatorial Guinea1203697
Gabon1014005
Sao Tome and Principe43109-
Zaire-3-
Northern Africa
Algeria1038026
Egypt981,13049
Libya774027
Morocco761,20738
Sudan1646904
Tunisia7785626
Western Sahara414-
Southern Africa
Botswana641756
Eswatini511732
Lesotho752666
Namibia683552
South Africa1,2563,35532
Western Africa
Benin633003
Burkina Faso724873
Cabo Verde52199-
Côte d’Ivoire994216
Gambia422902
Ghana861,27819
Guinea793618
Guinea-Bissau58231-
Liberia511963
Mali824114
Mauritania722795
Niger794615
Nigeria16,12525,99666
Saint Helena415-
Senegal9738710
Sierra Leone812971
Togo853944
Americas
Caribbean
Anguilla721-
Antigua and Barbuda42911
Aruba1741-
Bahamas641232
Barbados801143
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba-2-
British Virgin Islands1740-
Caymans5476-
Cuba8767912
Curaçao626-
Dominica4691-
Dominican Republic643266
Grenada40632
Guadeloupe141-
Haiti513737
Jamaica651706
Martinique11-
Montserrat1118-
Puerto Rico41022
Saint Barthélemy321-
Saint Kitts and Nevis35562
Saint Lucia46814
Saint Martin (French Part)426-
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines41583
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)636-
Trinidad and Tobago681991
Turks and Caicos Islands9291
United States Virgin Islands317-
Central America
Belize582368
Costa Rica6021213
El Salvador432265
Guatemala5442310
Honduras633364
Mexico1236,02891
Nicaragua521907
Panama422328
Northern America
Bermuda20721
Canada2565,178158
Greenland85220-
Saint Pierre and Miquelon444-
United States7,22362,6541,783
South America
Argentina1171,97783
Bolivia565596
Brazil24,890115,259152
Chile1,0278,17680
Colombia5,09313,78954
Ecuador6356843
Falklands630-
Guyana511162
Paraguay542861
Peru6087132
Suriname472917
Uruguay8606,49018
Venezuela12790920
Asia
Central Asia
Kazakhstan8362517
Kyrgyzstan613924
Tajikistan571842
Turkmenistan483383
Uzbekistan7340610
Eastern Asia
China25313,715222
Hong Kong4046349
Japan4233,225188
Macao355-
Mongolia553324
North Korea11891323
South Korea1191,937135
Taiwan1472,384118
Tibet212-
South-eastern Asia
Brunei Darussalam5516317
Cambodia7033911
Indonesia5132,675188
Kashmir15-
Laos583872
Malaysia1701,69182
Myanmar11163114
Philippines861,915141
Singapore6691,83416
Thailand12177952
Timor-Leste543275
Vietnam781,28721
Southern Asia
Afghanistan1047796
Bangladesh901,99950
Bhutan3915212
India24114,312422
Iran1191,82975
Maldives592528
Nepal881,83823
Pakistan1574,93171
Sri Lanka961,14593
Western Asia
Abkhazia25122-
Armenia7881,92435
Artsakh9631
Azerbaijan8844642
Bahrain7326715
Cyprus9644819
Georgia3,9137,27853
Iraq7488722
Israel134970153
Jordan9749639
Kuwait7031312
Lebanon7045536
Northern Cyprus5981
Oman711989
Palestine9849953
Qatar6114820
Saudi Arabia8368268
South Ossetia (Occupied Georgia)1875-
Syria7854267
Türkiye1194,14672
United Arab Emirates9224734
Yemen8261618
Europe
Central Europe
Austria9663,206123
Czechia1483,059171
Czechoslovakia41,744126
East Germany-90333
Germany35711,181279
Hungary1481,692116
Poland1862,821214
Slovenia27457035
Eastern Europe
Belarus1101,11138
Bulgaria1302,18348
Crimea333-
Donetsk (Occupied Ukraine)9492
Luhansk (Occupied Ukraine)5191
Moldova647498
Romania4643,15468
Russia3196,770766
Slovakia1,2172,35845
Soviet Union94,222657
Transnistria221301
Ukraine1112,957167
Yugoslavia251944
Northern Europe
Denmark6202,052154
Estonia75797166
Faroe Islands1263011
Finland10514,364151
Guernsey788-
Iceland7039922
Ireland10992848
Isle of Man1078-
Jersey201061
Latvia6863124
Lithuania28239,69030
Northern Ireland2229-
Norway1902,433230
Sark146-
Scotland25273-
Svalbard221
Sweden1652,278159
United Kingdom8486,7951,426
Wales51457
Åland Islands157-
Southern Europe
Albania6464317
Andorra561403
Bosnia and Herzegovina1102994
Croatia2,3693,52415
Gibraltar7881
Greece2291,926156
Holy See (Vatican)43982
Italy4305,758222
Kosovo46444-
Malta942689
Montenegro4,11111,0822
North Macedonia2,0979,1503
Portugal1361,55241
San Marino302522
Serbia821,19323
Serbia and Montenegro-987
Spain2,68013,086507
Western Europe
Belgium4652,20299
France84,94262,661748
Liechtenstein331678
Luxembourg11545138
Monaco3915110
Netherlands4582,457101
Switzerland891,96968
Oceania
Australia and New Zealand
Australia4553,781146
Christmas Island33-
Cocos (Keeling) Islands33-
New Zealand12775095
Norfolk Island412-
Melanesia
Fiji77201-
New Caledonia563-
Papua New Guinea972825
Solomon Islands491411
Vanuatu351572
Micronesia
Guam330-
Kiribati371082
Marshall Islands28702
Micronesia30824
Nauru8355-
Northern Mariana Islands422-
Palau33723
Polynesia
American Samoa319-
Cook Islands4260-
French Polynesia363-
Niue15521
Pitcairn516-
Samoa451783
Tokelau44-
Tonga5311913
Tuvalu32511
Wallis and Futuna Islands432-
Supranational
European Union744,0002
Global161944
United Nations1451

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 Argentinadaily257
Armenia Public Officials and AssociatesHetq Online  non-officialArmenia8,600
Austria Public OfficialsMeine Abgeordneten  non-officialAustriadaily1,623
Brazil Politically Exposed PersonsCGU Brazilweekly135,148
Cayman Islands Members of ParliamentParliament of the Cayman Islands Caymansdaily62
Cayman Islands Senior Judicial OfficersCayman Islands Judicial Administration Caymansweekly20
China National People's Congress on WikipediaWikipedia  non-officialGlobal2,946
Colombian Joining the Dots PEPsDirectorio Legislativo/EITI  non-officialColombiadaily188
Colombian PEP DeclarationsDAFP Colombiadaily17,677
Croatia State Registry of Public OfficialsSukobu Interesa Croatiaweekly5,056
Cuba Members of the ParliamentProyecto Inventario  non-officialCubamonthly471
Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland PEPsFinanstilsynet Denmarkweekly1,898
Estonia Members of the RiigikoguRiigikogu Estoniadaily102
EU Prominent Public FunctionsOJEU European Uniondaily1,392
European Commitee of the Regions MembersCoR European Unionweekly952
European Parliament MembersEP European Unionweekly932
Every PoliticianMySociety  non-official58,775
French MayorsMIOM Franceweekly68,832
French National AssemblyNational Assembly of France Franceweekly4,042
French SenatorsSénat Franceweekly908
Georgia Public Official Asset DeclarationsACB Georgiaweekly23,666
German Legislators from AbgeordnetenWatchParlamentwatch e.V.  non-officialGermanydaily2,516
Hong Kong Legislative Council MembersHong Kong Legislative Council Hong Kongweekly192
Hong Kong Principal OfficialsGovHK Hong Kongweekly52
Iceland parliamentAlþingi Icelanddaily38
Indonesia 2018 Regional Head Election ResultsKPI Indonesiaweekly652
Israel Knesset MembersKnesset Israeldaily474
Latvian SaeimaSaeima Latviaweekly101
Lithuania Members of the SeimasSeimas Lithuaniaweekly142
Lithuania PEPs from the register of private interestsVTEK Lithuaniamonthly67,088
Mexico Chamber of DeputiesCámara de Diputados Mexicoweekly501
Mexico GovernorsCONAGO  non-officialMexicoweekly88
Mexico SenateSenado de La República Mexicoweekly129
Netherlands House of RepresentativesTweede Kamer Netherlandsweekly151
Nigeria Joining the Dots PEPs and PEP RelativesDirectorio Legislativo/EITI  non-officialNigeriadaily4,391
Nigerian Politically Exposed Persons data by ChipperChipper  non-officialNigeriadaily40,807
North Macedonia Elected and Appointed OfficialsSCPC North Macedoniaweekly10,542
PEPs from Chile Interest and Asset DeclarationsCPLT Chiledaily7,485
Romania FIU Public OfficialsONPCSB Romaniaweekly83
Singapore Government DirectorySGD Singaporeweekly2,078
Slovakia Public OfficialsNR SR Slovakiaweekly2,765
Slovenian Political Officials from ZvezoskopOštro  non-officialSlovenia372
South Africa Municipal LeadershipNT South Africaweekly1,538
South Africa National and Provincial LegislatorsPMG  non-officialSouth Africadaily1,950
Thailand Cabinet of MinistersSOC Thailanddaily65
Türkiye Grand National AssemblyTBMM Türkiyeweekly594
UN Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign AffairsDGACM monthly1,048
United States Periodically Listing Updates to Management (PLUM) ReportingOPM United Statesdaily12,463
Uruguayan Politically Exposed Persons (PEP)SENACLAFT Uruguayweekly6,814
US CIA World Factbook Heads of State and GovernmentCIA United Statesweekly883
US CIA World LeadersCIA United Statesdaily11,071
US Legislators by Plural (formerly OpenStates)Plural  non-officialUnited Statesweekly12,432
US Members of the CongressCongress United Statesdaily1,253
US Navy LeadershipNavy United Statesdaily608
US State Department Senior OfficialsState United Statesweekly594
Venezuela Members of the National AssemblyAsamblea Nacional de Venezuela Venezuelaweekly275
Wikidata Politically Exposed PersonsWikidata  non-officialdaily247,553

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.