Pakistan’s CPI Score Improves Slightly as Global Corruption Worsens
By Shahzad Paracha :
Transparency International has released the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025, showing a modest improvement in Pakistan’s standing but highlighting a broader global decline in public-sector transparency.
According to the index, Pakistan’s CPI score increased from 27 in 2024 to 28 in 2025, and the country now ranks 136th out of 182 nations surveyed. This marks a one-spot rise compared with last year’s position of 135th out of 180 countries, reflecting a slight improvement in how corruption in the public sector is perceived.
The CPI measures perceived levels of corruption in the public sector on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), based on expert assessments and surveys of business executives.
Justice (retd) Zia Perwez, Chair of Transparency International Pakistan, welcomed the modest progress and underscored the need for structural reforms. He said efforts to improve governance and institutional integrity must continue, especially with effective implementation of the recommendations from the IMF’s Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment, to maintain and accelerate this upward trend.
Broader Global Trends
The CPI 2025 paints a concerning picture for global anti-corruption efforts. The global average score dropped to 42, the lowest in more than a decade, signifying that systemic corruption remains entrenched in many countries.
More than two-thirds of nations — 122 out of 182 — scored below 50, indicating widespread governance challenges. Only a small group of countries posted relatively clean records: Denmark topped the index with a score of 89, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84). By contrast, fragile and conflict-affected states such as South Sudan and Somalia scored at the bottom, with scores in the single digits.
The report also highlights a troubling trend in many established democracies, including the United States, United Kingdom, France and Sweden, where perceived corruption is reportedly rising, reversing earlier gains. Observers link this trend to weakening democratic accountability, restricted civic space, and eroding oversight institutions.
What the CPI Signals for Pakistan
While Pakistan’s slight improvement suggests some progress on anti-corruption fronts, experts caution that the country still trails most regional peers and remains far below the global average. Analysts note that continued reforms in public procurement, judicial transparency, political finance regulation, and civil service accountability are crucial to building long-term public trust and institutional credibility.
Transparency International’s report also underscores that countries with shrinking civil liberties — such as freedoms of expression, association and assembly — often see parallel declines in anti-corruption performance, suggesting that strengthening democratic space remains vital in confronting corruption.
What Comes Next
The CPI 2025 serves as both a benchmark and a warning: while incremental gains are possible, sustained political will, legal reform, and transparent governance are essential to combat entrenched corruption. For Pakistan, the challenge remains translating modest CPI gains into deep, lasting improvements in public sector integrity and accountability.
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