Why is it in the news?
Transparency International released CPI 2025 evaluating 182 countries.
Global average score dropped to 42, indicating widespread corruption.
Category: Polity
Important Points:
● CPI ranks countries on scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean)
● 122 out of 182 countries scored below 50
● Global average declined to 42 for first time in over a decade
● Denmark ranked highest (89) for 8th consecutive year
● Somalia and South Sudan lowest (9); Venezuela scored 10
● India ranked 91st with score 39 (improved from 96th in 2024)
● Full democracies average 71; flawed democracies 47; authoritarian regimes 32
● Key causes: politicised judiciary, opaque political financing, shrinking civic space
● 829 journalists killed globally since 2012 while investigating corruption
● TI founded in 1993; headquartered in Berlin, Germany