Pakistan’s ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025 improved by one point, moving from 135 out of 180 countries in 2024 to 136 out of 182 countries in 2025.
At the same time, the country’s CPI score increased by one point, from 27 in 2024 to 28 in 2025, according to Transparency International’s report published on Tuesday.
While Pakistan is undertaking commendable efforts in governance and institutional reforms, it is imperative that the recommendations of the IMF Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment are implemented effectively. This is essential to sustain Pakistan’s upward momentum in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in the coming years, said the Chair of Transparency International Pakistan, Justice Zia Perwez.
The Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) notes that corruption is worsening globally, with even established democracies experiencing rising corruption amid a decline in leadership.
The 2025 index shows that the number of countries scoring above 80 has shrunk from 12 a decade ago to just five this year.
The score has changed since 2012: 31 countries improved, 50 countries declined, while 100 countries stayed the same.
This year’s CPI ranks 182 countries and territories according to the levels of public-sector corruption perceived by experts and business people.
Chair of Transparency International, Francois Velerian, said: “Corruption is not inevitable. Our research and experience as a global movement fighting corruption show there is a clear blueprint for how to hold power to account for the common good, from democratic processes and independent oversight to a free and open civil society.”
“At a time when we’re seeing a dangerous disregard for international norms from some states, we’re calling on governments and leaders to act with integrity and live up to their responsibilities to provide a better future for people around the world.”
The highest-ranked nation was Denmark, for the eighth time in a row, with a score of 89. Only a small group of 15 countries, mainly in Western Europe and the Asia-Pacific, managed to get scores above 75. Of these, just five reached scores above 80.
Meanwhile, over two-thirds of countries (68 per cent) fell below 50, indicating serious corruption problems in most parts of the planet.
At the bottom of the index, the countries scoring below 25 are mostly conflict-affected and highly repressive countries, such as Venezuela, and the lowest scorers, Somalia and South Sudan, which both scored nine.
