Pakistan rated less corrupt in latest global index

Dubai: Pakistan has recorded a marginal improvement in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025, moving up one position to 136th out of 182 countries, while its overall score rose to 28, up from 27 last year.

The annual index, released on Tuesday, measures perceived levels of public-sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Pakistan was ranked 135th out of 180 countries in the 2024 edition, making this year’s movement a modest but notable step amid a broader global decline.

Transparency International Pakistan Chair Justice (retd) Zia Perwez said the improvement reflects ongoing governance and institutional reform efforts, but warned that sustained progress will depend on effective implementation of key recommendations. “While Pakistan is undertaking commendable reforms, it is imperative that the IMF’s Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment recommendations are implemented effectively to maintain upward momentum in the coming years,” he said.

Globally, the CPI paints a worrying picture. The average global score has fallen to 42, its lowest level in more than a decade, signalling a sustained deterioration in anticorruption efforts. More than two-thirds of countries, 122 in total, scored below 50, indicating serious corruption challenges across much of the world.

Transparency International noted that corruption is worsening even in established democracies, traditionally considered stronger on accountability and oversight. Countries such as the United States (64), Canada (75) and New Zealand (81), along with several European nations including the United Kingdom (70) and France (66), have shown declining performance in recent years.

For the eighth consecutive year, Denmark topped the index with a score of 89, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84). At the other end of the scale, conflict-affected and highly repressive states dominated the bottom rankings, with South Sudan and Somalia scoring nine, and Venezuela at 10.

The report also highlighted a strong link between corruption and shrinking civic space. Since 2012, 36 of the 50 countries that experienced significant drops in CPI scores have also seen restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and assembly.

Transparency International Chair Francois Velerian said corruption is not inevitable and stressed the need for decisive leadership. “There is a clear blueprint for holding power to account, from democratic processes and independent oversight to a free and open civil society,” he said, calling on governments to act with integrity and protect democratic institutions.

For Pakistan, the CPI 2025 results suggest incremental progress, but the organisation cautioned that without sustained political will, institutional independence and protection of civic space, gains could remain fragile in the years ahead.