Survey says democracies’ anti-corruption efforts are slipping and raises concern about the US

Global Anti-Corruption Efforts Falter as Democracies Show Worrying Decline

Established democracies around the world are losing ground in their fight against public-sector corruption, according to Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index released Tuesday. The 2025 report shows the global average score has dropped to its lowest level in over a decade, raising particular concerns about developments in the United States and their ripple effects worldwide.

Denmark maintained its position at the top of the index with 89 points out of 100, followed by Finland and Singapore. At the opposite end of the spectrum, South Sudan and Somalia tied for last place with just nine points each, with Venezuela ranking just above them.

The comprehensive survey, which serves as a global barometer for perceived corruption, paints a troubling picture of worldwide governance. Among the 182 nations and territories evaluated, 122 scored below 50 points on the 100-point scale. The global average fell one point to 42, marking a concerning downward trend.

“Too often, we are seeing a failure of good governance and accountable leadership,” the report stated, highlighting that only five countries now score above 80 points, compared to 12 a decade ago.

Even traditionally high-scoring democracies are showing signs of deterioration. New Zealand dropped two points to 81, while Sweden held steady at 80. Canada (75), the United Kingdom (70), France (66), and the United States (64) all demonstrated concerning patterns in their anti-corruption efforts.

The United States’ situation is particularly noteworthy, with its score dropping one point from 2024, placing it 29th globally in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term. This represents America’s worst performance since Transparency International began using its current methodology in 2012.

“While the data has yet to fully reflect developments in 2025, the use of public office to target and restrict independent voices such as NGOs and journalists, the normalization of conflicted and transactional politics, the politicization of prosecutorial decision making, and actions that undermine judicial independence, among many others, all send a dangerous signal that corrupt practices are acceptable,” the report explained.

The organization also criticized the U.S. decision to temporarily freeze and subsequently weaken enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), a 1977 law prohibiting U.S.-connected individuals and companies from bribing foreign officials to secure business deals.

President Trump had justified the freeze a year ago, arguing that while the FCPA “sounds good on paper,” it was “a disaster” in practice. Critics of the law have long claimed it disadvantages American businesses compared to international competitors.

Transparency International further noted that U.S. cuts to funding for overseas civil society groups that monitor government actions have undermined global anti-corruption initiatives. “Political leaders in various countries have also taken this as a cue to further target and restrict independent voices, such as NGOs and journalists,” the report stated.

The index, which aggregates data from 13 sources including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, and private risk assessment firms, shows 50 countries have experienced significant score declines since 2012. Hungary (40 points), Turkey (31), and Nicaragua (14) are among the nations showing the steepest drops.

On a more positive note, 31 countries have made substantial improvements over the same period, with Estonia (76 points), the Seychelles (68), and South Korea (63) demonstrating notable progress.

Russia remains near the bottom of the index with an unchanged score of 22, which Transparency International attributes to “fully centralized, opaque governance that suppresses media, civil society and political opposition.”

Nearly four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine improved slightly, gaining one point to reach 36 after high-level resignations followed an energy-sector corruption scandal. The organization acknowledged that civil society mobilization protected key anti-corruption institutions and investigations increased, though it emphasized that “further reforms are needed to protect defense and reconstruction funds from misuse.”

The report serves as a stark reminder that the fight against corruption requires continuous vigilance, even in well-established democracies where the principles of good governance appear deeply rooted.