Why in News?

  • Transparency International released the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2025.
  • It assessed 182 countries on the basis of perceived public sector corruption.
  • Score range:
    • 0 = Highly Corrupt
    • 100 = Very Clean
  • The report shows a worrying global decline in corruption control.

WHAT IS CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX?

  • Released annually by Transparency International (TI).
  • Measures corruption in the public sector.
  • Based on expert assessments and opinion surveys.
  • It does not measure actual corruption cases. It measures perception of corruption.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF CPI 2026

Global Performance
  • Global average score: 42 (lowest in more than 10 years).
  • 122 out of 182 countries scored below 50. ? This shows corruption is a serious global problem.
  • Countries scoring above 80 reduced from 12 (10 years ago) to just 5 now.
Top Performers (Very Clean Countries)
  • Denmark (89) – 1st rank (8th time in a row)
  • Finland
  • Singapore
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
Worst Performers (Highly Corrupt)
  • Somalia (9)
  • South Sudan (9)
  • Venezuela (10)
Most lowest-ranked countries are conflict-affected or authoritarian regimes.

INDIA’S PERFORMANCE

  • India has risen to 91st place out of 182 countries and territories.
  • It improved by 5 ranks compared to the previous year (96th).
  • Score increased by 1 point, from 38 in 2024 to 39 in 2025.
  • This shows a modest improvement in perceived public sector integrity.
Comparison with Neighbours
  • Bhutan – 71 (Rank 18)
  • China – 43 (Rank 76)
  • Maldives – 39 (same as India)
  • Sri Lanka – 35
  • Nepal – 34
  • Pakistan – 28
  • Bangladesh – 24
  • Afghanistan & Myanmar – 16
India performs better than many South Asian countries.But it still needs strong reforms. DEMOCRACY V/S CORRUPTION The report clearly shows:
  • Full Democracies – Average score 71
  • Flawed Democracies – 47
  • Authoritarian regimes – 32
Conclusion: Stronger democratic institutions = Less corruption

CAUSES OF CORRUPTION (AS PER REPORT)

1. Weak Justice System
  • Political interference in judicial appointments
  • Lack of independence
  • Poor funding
  • Powerful people escape punishment
When justice system is weak, corruption increases. 2. Undue Political Influence
  • Opaque political funding
  • No regulation of lobbying
  • Conflict of interest
  • Influence of rich donors
This leads to grand corruption and state capture (when institutions serve elites, not people). 3. Shrinking Civic Space
  • Restrictions on NGOs
  • Censorship
  • Violence against journalists
Since 2012, 829 journalists killed globally, many were investigating corruption. When media and civil society are weak, corruption increases. 4. Weak Public Financial Management
  • Poor monitoring of public spending
  • Corruption in procurement
  • Lack of audit and parliamentary scrutiny
  • Patronage networks
Public money gets diverted.

CONSEQUENCES OF CORRUPTION

1. Weak Rule of Law
  • Victims do not get justice
  • Poor and marginalised suffer more
  • Creates cycle of injustice
2. Democratic Decline
  • Elections become unfair
  • Parliament becomes weak
  • Public trust reduces
  • Rise of authoritarian tendencies
3. Poor Public Services
  • Weak healthcare
  • Poor education
  • Bad infrastructure
  • Unofficial payments act like regressive tax (poor pay more burden)
This increases inequality and poverty. 4. Economic and Social Impact
  • Reduces investment
  • Causes economic instability
  • Climate funds get misused
  • Leads to protests and political instability
Example: Youth-led protests in Nepal and Madagascar in 2025.

ABOUT TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

  • Founded: 1993
  • Headquarters: Berlin, Germany
  • Nature: Global civil society organisation
  • Mission: Fight corruption worldwide
Important Publications
  • Corruption Perception Index (CPI)
  • Global Corruption Barometer
TI defines corruption as: “Abuse of entrusted power for private gain.”

RECOMMENDATIONS OF CPI 2025

1. Strengthen Justice System
  • Independent judiciary
  • Transparent appointments
  • Adequate funding
  • Protection for victims
2. Regulate Political Finance
  • Transparency in donations
  • Cap on political funding
  • Disclosure of lobbying
  • Manage conflict of interest
3. Protect Civic Space
  • Freedom of expression
  • Safety of journalists
  • Protection of whistleblowers
  • Remove funding restrictions for NGOs
4. Strengthen Financial Oversight
  • Strong parliamentary scrutiny
  • Independent audits
  • Transparent procurement
  • Public participation in oversight
5. International Cooperation
  • Stop cross-border money laundering
  • Seize stolen asset
  • Multilateral cooperation
CONCLUSION CPI 2025 shows serious global concern.The global average fell to 42. Most countries face corruption challenges.Main reasons are weak institutions, shrinking civic space and political capture.To improve, countries must strengthen democracy, protect the media, ensure judicial independence and increase transparency.Strong institutions are the real solution to corruption.