Corruption Perception Index: Pakistan's ranking improves, overall score rises to 28

• Index measures perceived public sector corruption on a scale of 0–100.
• Last year, Pakistan ranked 135th out of 180 countries surveyed globally.
• Corruption worsening globally, including in established democracies: CPI.
  

ISLAMABAD: Transparency International has released the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2025, ranking Pakistan 136 out of 182 countries, with one place improvement compared to the previous year.

Pakistan was ranked 135th out of 180 countries surveyed last year. As per CPI 2025, the country’s overall score improved to 28, up one point from 2024.

Transparency International used the perceived levels of corruption in the public sector, using a scale from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

Chair of Transparency International Pakistan Justice (retd) Zia Perwez said: "While Pakistan is undertaking commendable efforts in [the] form of governance and institutional reforms, it is imperative that the recommendations in the IMF Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment are implemented effectively to sustain Pakistan’s upward momentum on CPI in [the] coming years."

According to CPI 2025, corruption is worsening globally, with even established democracies experiencing rising corruption amid a decline in leadership.

The CPI ranks 182 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The global average score stands at 42 out of 100, its lowest level in more than a decade, pointing to a concerning downward trend that will need to be monitored over time.

The vast majority of countries are failing to keep corruption under control: more than two-thirds — 122 out of 180 — score under 50. For the eighth year in a row, Denmark obtains the highest score on the index (89) and is closely followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84). Countries with the lowest scores overwhelmingly have severely repressed civil societies and high levels of instability, like South Sudan (9), Somalia (9), and Venezuela (10).

Corruption is worsening globally, with even established democracies experiencing rising corruption amid a decline in leadership, according to Transparency International.

"Typically stronger on anti-corruption than autocracies or flawed democracies, they are experiencing a worrying decline in performance," the report read.

As per the CPI 2025, the trend spans countries such as the United States (64), Canada (75), and New Zealand (81), to various parts of Europe, like the United Kingdom (70), France (66), and Sweden (80).

Another concerning pattern is increasing restrictions by many states on freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. Since 2012, 36 of the 50 countries with significant declines in CPI scores have also experienced a reduction in civic space.

Transparency International warned that the "absence of bold leadership in the global fight against corruption" is weakening international anti-corruption action and risks reducing pressure for reform in countries throughout the world.