The same crime, judged by the world.

Corruption & bribery — how 14 countries sentence it

Across these 14 jurisdictions a public official who takes a significant bribe faces imprisonment plus fines and mandatory forfeiture of the bribe/proceeds. Statutory maximums for the core offence cluster around 5-15 years, but the tail is wide: Taiwan imposes unusually high MANDATORY MINIMUMS (7 years for a bribe tied to a lawful act within duty, 10 years for one tied to a breach of duty), South Korea's aggravated large-sum bands carry minimums that rise from 5 to 10+ years, and China alone among the 14 permits the death penalty for especially large sums. Most systems grade the offence by whether the bribe was for a lawful act within duty (lighter) or a breach of duty (heavier), and nearly all attach confiscation of the bribe and/or asset forfeiture on top of imprisonment. Figures are general; this is legal education, not legal advice, and describes the law and typical sentencing bands only, not any specific case.

Starkest gap: China is the only one of the 14 where a large bribe can carry the death penalty, while Taiwan imposes heavy mandatory minimums (7-10 years) and South Korea's aggravated bands can reach life imprisonment, yet most Western systems cap the core offence around 5-15 years with judicial discretion and no mandatory minimum.

• United States: Up to 15 years (federal bribery); actual terms vary widely by amount and the Sentencing Guidelines (typically a long prison term).
• Australia: Up to 10 years and/or a fine of 10,000 penalty units (about AUD 3.64 million at the 2026 rate) at the federal (Commonwealth) level, plus proceeds-of-crime confiscation (typically a medium prison term).
• Brazil: 2 to 12 years plus a fine; increased by one-third where the bribe leads to a breach of official duty (typically a medium prison term).
• China: For a significant bribe: 3-10 years; for large sums 10+ years, life, or death; suspended death sentences are common at the top tier (typically a medium prison term). Death penalty is on the books.
• England & Wales (UK): On indictment, up to 10 years and an unlimited fine; plus confiscation of proceeds under POCA (typically a medium prison term).
• France: Up to 10 years and a fine of up to EUR 1 million (which may be raised to twice the proceeds), plus additional penalties (typically a medium prison term).
• Germany: 6 months to 5 years for taking bribes in breach of duty; up to 10 years in especially serious cases; confiscation of proceeds (typically a medium prison term).
• India: Rigorous imprisonment of 3 to 7 years plus a fine (typically a medium prison term).
• Japan: Up to 5 years for basic acceptance; up to 7 years if a request was agreed to; 1-20 years for aggravated (breach-of-duty) bribery (typically a medium prison term).
• Netherlands: Up to 6 years or a fine of the fifth category (~EUR 90,000-100,000), both possible; up to 8 years for the most senior officeholders (typically a medium prison term).
• Saudi Arabia: Up to 10 years' imprisonment and/or a fine up to SAR 1 million; the bribe is confiscated (typically a medium prison term).
• Singapore: Up to 5 years per charge (7 years where a government contract or MP is involved), plus a fine, plus a mandatory penalty repaying the full bribe (typically a medium prison term).
• South Korea: Up to 5 years under the base Criminal Act; for a significant bribe, aggravated 5 years to life under the Specific Crimes Act, plus a fine of 2-5x the bribe (typically a medium prison term).
• Taiwan: 7+ years for a bribe tied to a lawful official act; life or 10+ years if tied to a breach of official duty (typically a medium prison term).

General legal education, not legal advice. Figures are simplified and were last verified 19–20 July 2026; each is sourced in the interactive view above.