Most countries have failed to improve perceptions of public corruption within their borders over the last decade, a new survey found.
Transparency International, a Berlin-based anti-corruption advocacy group, ranked 182 countries from across the globe on the basis of perceived public sector corruption in their latest annual survey for 2025.
Only 31 of these countries “significantly reduced” corruption levels since 2012, while the rest have either stayed at similar levels or declined in their anti-corruption scores, the survey found.
Denmark topped the list for the eighth year in a row, garnering 89 points out of the best possible 100 anti-corruption score. South Sudan and Somalia tied for last place with merely 9 points each.
While Europe as a whole was scored as the least corrupt region, the report noted that the 2025 rankings indicated several European countries were falling behind. Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania all dipped below the 50-point mark.
The report accused the European Union (EU) of sitting “idly by” as some of its member states allegedly declined in their efforts to counter corruption. The three lowest-ranking EU countries have been major targets for Russian disinformation campaigns amid the country’s ongoing war with neighboring Ukraine.
“In the current geopolitical climate, Europe should be raising, not lowering, its anti-corruption ambitions,” Flora Cresswell, the organization’s Western Europe regional adviser, said in the press release. “Corruption is not inevitable: Europe and its leaders must act now to show ambitious, enforceable reform and global leadership.”
The U.S. tied with the Bahamas for 29th on the list with its lowest score ever, 64. Transparency International said that “targeting independent voices and undermining judicial independence” contributed to the country’s 2025 score.
The drop in rankings follows a downward trend for the U.S. in the annual report over the past several years after the country peaked at a score of 76 in 2015.
“We’re seeing a concerning picture of long-term decline in leadership to tackle corruption,” the press release said. “Even established democracies, like the US, UK and New Zealand, are experiencing a drop in performance. The absence of bold leadership is leading to weaker standards and enforcement, lowering ambition on anti-corruption efforts around the world.”
The 2025 report aggregated data from 12 different institutions tracking corruption perceptions from across the globe.
