Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) paints a worrying picture: anti‑corruption leadership is eroding around the world, even in long‑established democracies. The 31st CPI ranks more than 180 countries and territories by perceived public‑sector corruption on a 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean) scale. Several Western staples of good governance — including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Sweden — have slipped in the rankings.
The number of countries scoring above 80, once considered a marker of clean government, has shrunk from 12 a decade ago to just five this year. Denmark remains the top performer with a score of 89 for the eighth year running, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84). But Transparency International cautioned that many governments have stopped treating the fight against corruption as a priority. Francois Valerian, chair of Transparency International, told DW that some governments appear to believe they have already done enough and have shifted attention elsewhere.
United States at its lowest score
The United States recorded its lowest CPI score ever: 64, down 10 points since 2016. The report cites a long‑term deterioration in the political climate and notes the index does not fully capture developments since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Transparency International points to high‑profile ethics controversies, including at the Supreme Court, and identifies broader trends such as the use of public office to suppress independent voices, the normalisation of conflicted and transactional politics, politicised prosecutorial decisions and actions that weaken judicial independence. These patterns, the report says, risk signalling that corrupt practices are tolerated.
Since starting his second term, President Trump has taken steps critics say align with these concerns: moves to curtail public broadcasters, the use of government bodies against opponents, and actions seen as undermining judicial independence. Transparency International also raised worries about a reinterpretation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) via executive order, the administration’s favourable stance on cryptocurrencies — which can facilitate money‑laundering — and a proposed fast‑track visa scheme aimed at wealthy foreigners, dubbed by critics the “Trump Gold Card.” Valerian warned that such visa programs often attract corrupt actors and criminals.
Europe losing momentum
Across Europe, the UK posted the largest fall among Western countries over the past decade, dropping 11 points to 70. The report links Britain’s decline to repeated failures to hold ministers and lawmakers to ethical standards and to procurement scandals during the COVID‑19 pandemic in which insiders received lucrative contracts with limited oversight.
Other notable Western declines over the last ten years include New Zealand (down nine points to 81), Sweden (down eight to 80) and Canada (down seven to 75). Germany has fallen four points over the decade to 77 but gained two points from last year, while France slipped four points to 66 — a slide the report attributes to weaker enforcement and growing risks of collusion between public officials and private interests, despite the conviction of former president Nicolas Sarkozy in an illicit funds case. Valerian warned that European anti‑corruption efforts are faltering and said the EU’s Anti‑Corruption Directive has been diluted, limiting the bloc’s ability to strengthen its defences against graft.
Wider reversals and worrying trends
Since 2012, 50 countries have registered significant declines in CPI scores. The report highlights democratic backsliding and weakened rule of law in Turkey, Hungary and Nicaragua, and it warns that corruption is enabling organised crime to gain political influence across parts of Latin America. Even countries previously seen as strong democracies, such as Costa Rica and Uruguay, now face pressures long associated with Colombia, Mexico and Brazil.
Transparency International describes many of the declines as ‘‘sharp, enduring and difficult to reverse’’ and warns that corruption is becoming systemic — embedded in political and administrative systems. Valerian stressed that concentrated, secretive power creates fertile ground for abuse.
The new index does not incorporate the most recent tranche of Jeffrey Epstein documents released last month, which have implicated officials in several countries. The watchdog also flagged rising political interference with NGOs and civil society groups, citing crackdowns and funding cuts in Georgia, Indonesia and Peru. In some places it is becoming harder for journalists, watchdogs and whistleblowers to expose corrupt practices.
Mixed results in conflict and transition settings
Ukraine received praise for its anti‑corruption drive despite the ongoing war. While recent defence‑sector scandals show corruption remains a challenge, the fact that cases are surfacing and proceeding to prosecution suggests Ukraine’s new anti‑corruption framework is taking effect. Ukraine’s score has risen seven points over the past decade to 36. By contrast, Russia — which has dismantled or weakened laws designed to prevent and punish graft — remains near the bottom with a score of 22.
Worst and best performers
Authoritarian states such as Venezuela and Azerbaijan rank among the weakest, where corruption is pervasive at many levels of government. More than two‑thirds of countries scored below 50, a threshold the report says indicates serious corruption problems across much of the globe. Nations scoring under 25 tend to be those affected by conflict and repression: Libya, Yemen and Eritrea scored 13, while Somalia and South Sudan scored 9.
There are some positive stories: several countries have moved up from the bottom toward the middle of the scale, including Albania, Angola, Ivory Coast, Laos, Senegal, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Long‑term improvements were also noted in already higher‑scoring countries such as Estonia, South Korea, Bhutan and Seychelles.
Overall, the 2025 CPI warns that progress against corruption is stalling in many places and reversing in others, underscoring the need for renewed political will, stronger enforcement and greater transparency if countries hope to stop graft from becoming entrenched.