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