Transparency International (TI), the global coalition against corruption, has once again ranked Nigeria as one of the 36 most corrupt countries in the world, according to its 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released on Tuesday.
The rating placed Nigeria at 142nd out of 182 countries, down from 140th in 2024, on a scale where 1 represents the cleanest and 182 the most corrupt country.
Despite sliding in the overall global ranking, the most populous nation in Africa retained the same 36th most corrupt label it held in the previous index.
Nigeria scored 26 points out of 100, a score shared with Cameroon, Guatemala, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan and Papua New Guinea in the latest assessment, highlighting persistent governance challenges.
The CPI evaluates perceived levels of public‑sector corruption across 182 countries and territories using expert and business assessments, with scores ranging from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
According to TI’s index, Denmark topped the list as the least corrupt, scoring 89 points, Finland followed with 88, Singapore with 84, and New Zealand with 81.
No African country made the top 10 in the global ranking, reflecting ongoing governance gaps across the continent.
Among African nations, Seychelles (68), Cabo Verde (62) and Botswana (58) were cited as the least corrupt on the continent.
At the bottom of the global list, South Sudan, Somalia and Venezuela were named the most corrupt countries in the world for 2025.
Explaining the methodology, TI’s Chief Executive Officer Maíra Martini said the CPI measures corruption perceptions in the public sector and reflects broader institutional weaknesses in many countries.
“The results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). While 31 countries have significantly reduced their corruption levels since 2012, the rest are failing to tackle the problem, they have stayed stagnant or got worse,” Martini said.
She noted that the global average has dropped to a decade low of 42 points, with more than two‑thirds of countries scoring below 50, underscoring a challenging global landscape in anti‑corruption efforts.
Martini warned that weak leadership and shrinking civic space were contributing factors to the global slide in anti‑corruption performance.
“The absence of bold leadership is leading to weaker standards and enforcement, lowering ambition on anti‑corruption efforts around the world,” she stated.
She added that restrictions on civil society, media and public oversight were hindering transparency and accountability, giving corruption room to thrive.
“Leaders must act to tackle abuses of power and the wider factors driving this decline, such as the roll‑back of democratic checks and balances,” Martini urged.
“Anti‑government protests in many parts of the world show that people are fed up with unaccountable leadership and are demanding reform,” Martini sai
Score Country Rank
89 Denmark 1
88 Finland 2
84 Singapore 3
81 New Zealand 4
81 Norway 4
80 Sweden 6
80 Switzerland 6
78 Luxembourg 8
78 Netherlands 8
77 Germany 10
77 Iceland 10
76 Australia 12
76 Estonia 12
76 Hong Kong 12
76 Ireland 12
75 Canada 16
73 Uruguay 17
71 Bhutan 18
71 Japan 18
70 United Kingdom 20
69 Austria 21
69 Belgium 21
69 United Arab Emirates 21
68 Barbados 24
68 Seychelles 24
68 Taiwan 24
66 France 27
65 Lithuania 28
64 Bahamas 29
64 United States of America 29
63 Brunei Darussalam 31
63 Chile 31
63 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 31
63 South Korea 31
62 Cabo Verde 35
62 Israel 35
60 Dominica 37
60 Latvia 37
59 Czechia 39
59 Saint Lucia 39
58 Botswana 41
58 Qatar 41
58 Rwanda 41
58 Slovenia 41
57 Saudi Arabia 45
56 Costa Rica 46
56 Grenada 46
56 Portugal 46
55 Cyprus 49
55 Fiji 49
55 Spain 49
53 Italy 52
53 Poland 52
52 Malaysia 54
52 Oman 54
50 Bahrain 56
50 Georgia 56
50 Greece 56
50 Jordan 56
49 Malta 60
48 Mauritius 61
48 Slovakia 61
47 Croatia 63
47 Vanuatu 63
46 Armenia 65
46 Kuwait 65
46 Montenegro 65
46 Namibia 65
46 Senegal 65
45 Benin 70
45 Romania 70
45 Sao Tome and Principe 70
44 Jamaica 73
44 Solomon Islands 73
44 Timor-Leste 73
43 China 76
43 Côte d’Ivoire 76
43 Ghana 76
43 Kosovo 76
42 Moldova 80
41 South Africa 81
41 Trinidad and Tobago 81
41 Vietnam 81
40 Bulgaria 84
40 Burkina Faso 84
40 Cuba 84
40 Guyana 84
40 Hungary 84
40 North Macedonia 84
40 Tanzania 84
39 Albania 91
39 India 91
39 Maldives 91
39 Morocco 91
39 Tunisia 91
38 Ethiopia 96
38 Kazakhstan 96
38 Suriname 96
37 Colombia 99
37 Dominican Republic 99
37 Gambia 99
37 Lesotho 99
37 Zambia 99
36 Argentina 104
36 Belize 104
36 Ukraine 104
35 Brazil 107
35 Sri Lanka 107
34 Algeria 109
34 Bosnia and Herzegovina 109
34 Indonesia 109
34 Laos 109
34 Malawi 109
34 Nepal 109
34 Sierra Leone 109
33 Ecuador 116
33 Panama 116
33 Serbia 116
33 Thailand 116
32 Angola 120
32 El Salvador 120
32 Philippines 120
32 Togo 120
31 Belarus 124
31 Djibouti 124
31 Mongolia 124
31 Niger 124
31 Turkey 124
31 Uzbekistan 124
30 Azerbaijan 130
30 Egypt 130
30 Kenya 130
30 Mauritania 130
30 Peru 130
29 Gabon 135
28 Bolivia 136
28 Iraq 136
28 Liberia 136
28 Mali 136
28 Pakistan 136
27 Mexico 141
26 Cameroon 142
26 Guatemala 142
26 Guinea 142
26 Kyrgyzstan 142
26 Nigeria 142
26 Papua New Guinea 142
25 Madagascar 148
25 Uganda 148
24 Bangladesh 150
24 Central African Republic 150
24 Paraguay 150
23 Congo 153
23 Eswatini 153
23 Iran 153
23 Lebanon 153
22 Chad 157
22 Honduras 157
22 Russia 157
22 Zimbabwe 157
21 Guinea-Bissau 161
21 Mozambique 161
20 Cambodia 163
20 Comoros 163
20 Democratic Republic of the Congo 163
19 Tajikistan 166
17 Burundi 167
17 Turkmenistan 167
16 Afghanistan 169
16 Haiti 169
16 Myanmar 169
15 Equatorial Guinea 172
15 North Korea 172
15 Syria 172
14 Nicaragua 175
14 Sudan 175
13 Eritrea 177
13 Libya 177
13 Yemen 177
10 Venezuela 180
9 Somalia 181
9 South Sudan 181
