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Corruption Perceptions Index: Nigeria falls from 140th to 142nd out of 182 countries
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Retains ranking as 36th most corrupt nation globally with 26 points
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Global average drops to record low as TI warns corruption remains high
Nigeria has dropped two places on Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), moving from 140th to 142nd position among 182 countries and territories ranked by perceived public-sector corruption.
Despite the slip in the overall global ranking, Nigeria maintained its position as the 36th most corrupt country in the world — a position it also held in the 2024 index — with a score of 26 points on the 0–100 scale where higher scores denote cleaner public sectors.
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The 2025 CPI, released on Tuesday via the global anti-corruption watchdog’s website, placed Denmark at the top of the list as the least corrupt country with 89 points, followed by Finland (88), Singapore (84) and New Zealand (81).
No African nation made the CPI top 10. Seychelles, Cabo Verde and Botswana were rated the least corrupt on the continent with scores of 68, 62 and 58 respectively. At the bottom of the index were South Sudan, Somalia and Venezuela, deemed the most corrupt.
Explaining the index methodology, TI Chief Executive Maíra Martini said the 2025 ranking assesses perceived levels of public-sector corruption and noted a troubling global trend.
“The global average has fallen to a new low of 42, while more than two-thirds of countries score below 50. And people are paying the price, as corruption leads to under-funded hospitals, unbuilt flood defences, and blights the hopes and dreams of young people,” Martini said.
She also challenged world leaders on anti-corruption efforts, urging bold action in the face of declining checks and enforcement.
“The absence of bold leadership is leading to weaker standards and enforcement… Anti-government protests in many parts of the world show that people are fed up with unaccountable leadership and are demanding reform,” Martini added.
Transparency International’s 2025 CPI underscores ongoing global struggles with corruption, even in established democracies such as the United States and United Kingdom, which have also seen drops in their rankings.
