Global corruption levels are worsening, with established democracies showing declining public integrity, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025. The global average score has fallen to 42 — its lowest in more than a decade — while 122 of 182 countries scored below 50. The report warns that "too often, we are seeing a failure of good governance and accountable leadership".

Western democracies under scrutiny

A clear trend is emerging: even traditionally strong democracies are seeing falling integrity scores. The United Kingdom scored 70, France 66 and Canada 75, drawing increased attention.

The United States stands out. With a score of 64, it has recorded its lowest position since 2012, ranking 29th globally. Transparency International flagged the normalisation of transactional politics and the "politicization of prosecutorial decision making" in Washington.

A key flashpoint remains the freeze on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Critics say the law hampers business, while President Donald Trump earlier argued, "it sounds good on paper, but in practicality, it's a disaster". The report says such developments, along with cuts to overseas civil-society aid, send a "dangerous signal that corrupt practices are acceptable".

India and South Asia: Limited gains

For India, the data suggests gradual movement but no major breakthrough. The country scored 39 and ranked 91st globally — a marginal one-point improvement from 2024. India shares this position and score with the Maldives.

Across the region, China leads with 43, unchanged from the previous year. Sri Lanka recorded a stronger rise, gaining three points to reach 35.

Other neighbours remain lower: Nepal scored 34, Pakistan 28 and Bangladesh 24. Myanmar continues to rank near the bottom with a score of 16.

Global rankings and geopolitical contrasts

Denmark remains the least corrupt country with 89 points, followed by Finland and Singapore. At the other end sit South Sudan, Somalia and Venezuela.

Geopolitical pressures are visible in the data. Russia remains low at 22, linked to "opaque governance that suppresses media". Ukraine improved to 36 despite ongoing invasion. Transparency International said an energy-sector scandal prompted high-level resignations, while civil society mobilisation helped protect anti-corruption institutions.

Longer-term trends show improvement in Estonia (76) and South Korea (63). By contrast, Hungary (40) and Turkiye (31) continue to slide.