The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) — the definitive global benchmark for public sector corruption — paints a stark picture of the world’s governance landscape. According to Transparency International’s latest report, corruption is not only widely prevalent but growing increasingly entrenched in countries across all regions, including established democracies that once led the fight for accountability and transparency.
This year’s index — the 31st annual edition — highlights a dangerous trend: a long-term decline in political leadership against corruption, widening gaps in civic freedoms, and shrinking space for independent institutions that hold power to account.
Global Corruption Landscape: A Decade of Erosion
The CPI ranks 182 countries and territories on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), based on expert assessments and business perceptions. The global average score for 2025 has dropped to 42, the lowest in more than a decade — a powerful indicator that governance standards are deteriorating globally.
Key Global Trends Identified in 2025
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The number of countries scoring above 80 has shrunk from **12 a decade ago to just five in 2025.
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More than two-thirds of nations (122) score below 50, indicating pervasive levels of perceived corruption.
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50 countries have seen significant declines in their CPI scores since 2012, reflecting weakening institutions and governance structures.
These trends underscore that corruption is no longer isolated to fragile states; it is now a systemic challenge across governance models and continents.
Democracies Are Backsliding — A New Corruption Paradox
One of the most striking revelations in the 2025 CPI is that established democracies, traditionally stronger performers on anti-corruption metrics, are showing sustained declines. Countries such as:
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United States (64)
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Canada (75)
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United Kingdom (70)
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France (66)
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Sweden (80)
all saw lower scores, signaling that corruption risks are rising even where oversight mechanisms are expected to be robust.
The root causes of this backsliding are complex and multifaceted. They include:
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Erosion of civic space — restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and assembly make it harder for media, civil society, and watchdog organisations to operate effectively.
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Weakening judicial independence — political interference in oversight institutions undermines public trust and accountability.
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Lack of political leadership — governments are failing to enforce anti-corruption laws with the urgency and consistency required.
According to Transparency International’s Chair François Valérian, “Corruption is not inevitable” — yet the absence of bold leadership is weakening efforts to address it globally.
Shrinking Civic Space: A Major Barrier to Progress
Since 2012, 36 of the 50 countries with the most significant score declines have also experienced reductions in civic freedoms — a troubling correlation that highlights how repression fuels corruption.
In multiple countries, governments have introduced laws or policies that limit the capacity of NGOs, journalists, and civil society to operate independently. This created environments where corruption can proliferate with less scrutiny and accountability.
The Cost of Silencing Watchdogs
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Independent media and civil society organisations face administrative and legal pressures, making it harder to expose abuses of power.
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Whistleblowers are less protected, reducing incentives for insiders to expose wrongdoing.
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Journalists investigating corruption become targets, undermining transparency in governance.
This shrinking civic space does not only impact emerging democracies — even advanced economies are seeing creeping restrictions that erode accountability norms.
Political Leadership and Institutional Integrity: What’s at Stake
The CPI 2025 underscores that anti-corruption progress is strongly linked to institutional strength — not just legal frameworks on paper but functional independence, enforcement, and transparency.
Where Progress Is Being Made
Despite the gloomy global picture, some countries have maintained or improved their governance scores through sustained reform efforts:
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Estonia (76)
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South Korea (63)
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Seychelles (68)
These examples show that long-term commitment to transparency, strong oversight agencies, and civic engagement can reverse corruption trends.
Policy Responses: What the World Must Do Next
Transparency International’s 2025 CPI report calls for a comprehensive global response to stem the rise of corruption:
Renew Political Leadership on Anti-Corruption
Governments must fully enforce anti-corruption laws and implement international commitments with transparency and accountability.
Protect Civic Space and Independent Watchdogs
Ending attacks on journalists, NGOs, and whistleblowers is critical to maintaining free scrutiny of public institutions.
Close Secrecy Loopholes Across Borders
Greater transparency in corporate ownership, financial flows, and professional enablers is needed to prevent corrupt money from moving across jurisdictions unchecked.
Without these steps, the global governance architecture risks further erosion — with significant consequences not only for economic development but for social trust, equity, and democratic stability.
A Critical Moment for the Global Anti-Corruption Movement
The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index reveals a world where corruption is no longer confined to developing states or failed regimes. Instead, it has grown into a widespread governance challenge, affecting democracies and authoritarian states alike.
The decline in leadership, shrinking civic space, and weakened oversight institutions underscore a fundamental truth: corruption thrives where accountability fades. As corruption becomes more entrenched in public systems around the world, the fight against it demands renewed urgency, stronger institutions, and genuine political courage.
For countries, civil society, and the global community, the CPI 2025 should be both a wake-up call and a roadmap to reform — because the cost of inaction is far too high.
