Mapped: The World’s Most and Least Corrupt Countries

Mapped: The World’s Most and Least Corrupt Countries

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Key Takeaways:

Corruption perceptions are worsening globally, according to the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) from Transparency International.

The index scores countries from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating cleaner perceived public sectors. In 2025, the global average fell to 42, while 122 of 182 countries scored below 50.

This map shows how corruption perceptions compare worldwide, from Denmark’s score of 89 to Somalia’s score of 9.

Fewer Countries Are Considered “Clean”

One of the most striking findings is how rapidly the number of top-performing countries has shrunk. In 2015, 12 countries scored above 80 on the CPI. By 2025, that number had fallen to just five.

This shift suggests that even nations traditionally associated with strong democratic institutions are facing mounting governance pressures. Transparency International points to rising political polarization, weaker institutional trust, and pressure on checks and balances as factors weighing on scores in several advanced economies.

Here’s a look at the global rankings from the latest CPI data:

Country	CPI Score (2025)
Denmark	89
Finland	88
Singapore	84
New Zealand	81
Norway	81
Sweden	80
Switzerland	80
Luxembourg	78
Netherlands	78
Germany	77
Iceland	77
Australia	76
Estonia	76
Hong Kong	76
Ireland	76
Canada	75
Uruguay	73
Bhutan	71
Japan	71
United Kingdom	70
Austria	69
Belgium	69
United Arab Emirates	69
Barbados	68
Seychelles	68
Taiwan	68
France	66
Lithuania	65
Bahamas	64
United States of America	64
Brunei Darussalam	63
Chile	63
South Korea	63
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	63
Cabo Verde	62
Israel	62
Dominica	60
Latvia	60
Czechia	59
Saint Lucia	59
Botswana	58
Qatar	58
Rwanda	58
Slovenia	58
Saudi Arabia	57
Costa Rica	56
Grenada	56
Portugal	56
Cyprus	55
Fiji	55
Spain	55
Italy	53
Poland	53
Malaysia	52
Oman	52
Bahrain	50
Georgia	50
Greece	50
Jordan	50
Malta	49
Mauritius	48
Slovakia	48
Croatia	47
Vanuatu	47
Armenia	46
Kuwait	46
Montenegro	46
Namibia	46
Senegal	46
Benin	45
Romania	45
Sao Tome and Principe	45
Jamaica	44
Solomon Islands	44
Timor-Leste	44
China	43
Cote d’Ivoire	43
Ghana	43
Kosovo	43
Moldova	42
South Africa	41
Trinidad and Tobago	41
Vietnam	41
Bulgaria	40
Burkina Faso	40
Cuba	40
Guyana	40
Hungary	40
North Macedonia	40
Tanzania	40
Albania	39
India	39
Maldives	39
Morocco	39
Tunisia	39
Ethiopia	38
Kazakhstan	38
Suriname	38
Colombia	37
Dominican Republic	37
Gambia	37
Lesotho	37
Zambia	37
Argentina	36
Belize	36
Ukraine	36
Brazil	35
Sri Lanka	35
Algeria	34
Bosnia and Herzegovina	34
Indonesia	34
Laos	34
Malawi	34
Nepal	34
Sierra Leone	34
Ecuador	33
Panama	33
Serbia	33
Thailand	33
Angola	32
El Salvador	32
Philippines	32
Togo	32
Belarus	31
Djibouti	31
Mongolia	31
Niger	31
Turkey	31
Uzbekistan	31
Azerbaijan	30
Egypt	30
Kenya	30
Mauritania	30
Peru	30
Gabon	29
Bolivia	28
Iraq	28
Liberia	28
Mali	28
Pakistan	28
Mexico	27
Cameroon	26
Guatemala	26
Guinea	26
Kyrgyzstan	26
Nigeria	26
Papua New Guinea	26
Madagascar	25
Uganda	25
Bangladesh	24
Central African Republic	24
Paraguay	24
Congo	23
Eswatini	23
Iran	23
Lebanon	23
Chad	22
Honduras	22
Russia	22
Zimbabwe	22
Guinea Bissau	21
Mozambique	21
Cambodia	20
Comoros	20
Democratic Republic of the Congo	20
Tajikistan	19
Burundi	17
Turkmenistan	17
Afghanistan	16
Haiti	16
Myanmar	16
Equatorial Guinea	15
North Korea	15
Syria	15
Nicaragua	14
Sudan	14
Eritrea	13
Libya	13
Yemen	13
Venezuela	10
Somalia	9
South Sudan	9

The U.S. is one of the clearest examples of this shift. With a score of 64, it ranks 29th globally and has fallen to its lowest score in the index. The decline reflects growing concerns around transparency and institutional confidence.

Why Corruption Matters Economically

Corruption carries steep economic costs beyond political instability. Research published by the International Monetary Fund has linked corruption to lower investment, weaker economic growth, and reduced government effectiveness.

In many countries, corruption also distorts public spending priorities. Funds intended for infrastructure, health care, education, or climate adaptation can instead be siphoned away through bribery schemes or opaque procurement systems.

The effects are often most severe in lower-income countries, where weaker institutions leave governments more vulnerable to organized crime and state capture.

The Human Cost of Corruption

Beyond economics, corruption also creates significant human risks. Anti-corruption reporting remains especially dangerous in countries with weak governance protections. Since 2012, 150 journalists covering corruption stories outside of war zones have been murdered, with nearly all cases occurring in countries with high corruption levels.

International organizations including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime continue to emphasize that fighting corruption requires stronger legal institutions, independent media protections, and cross-border cooperation.

While some countries continue to improve transparency and accountability, the broader global picture suggests corruption remains deeply entrenched and increasingly difficult to reverse.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Explore more global governance and public opinion data on Voronoi, including this visualization of Which Countries Are The Most Corrupt?.

• Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-most-and-least-corrupt-countries/