Pakistan’s ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024 has fallen two spots, from 133 in 2023 to 135 out of 180 countries, according to a Transparency International report released on Tuesday.
The CPI ranks nations based on perceived public sector corruption, scoring them from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Pakistan’s score declined from 29 in 2023 to 27 in 2024.
Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) clarified that it plays no role in collecting data or calculating the country’s score, as the index is compiled by Transparency International Berlin.
Regional and Global Trends
According to TIP Chair, retired Justice Zia Perwez, most countries in the region saw a decline in their scores, except for Oman, China, Türkiye, and Mongolia. He noted that Pakistan’s decline was in line with regional trends.
The report highlighted persistently high global corruption levels, with over two-thirds of countries scoring below 50. Nearly 6.8 billion people—85% of the world’s population—live in countries with CPI scores under 50.
Denmark retained its top position for the seventh consecutive year with a score of 90, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84). Meanwhile, conflict-affected nations such as South Sudan (8), Somalia (9), Venezuela (10), Syria (12), Libya (13), Eritrea (13), Yemen (13), and Equatorial Guinea (13) ranked lowest.
Notable Trends and Shifts
- The Middle East and North Africa saw a slight improvement, increasing by one point to 39—the first rise in over a decade.
- Western Europe and the European Union remained the top-scoring region, but its overall score declined for the second year, with growing concerns over leaders prioritizing business interests over public welfare.
- The Asia-Pacific region saw a drop in its average score, attributed to corruption and climate change-related challenges.
Countries with Notable Changes
Over a quarter of the countries in the index (47) recorded their lowest-ever scores, including Austria (67), Bangladesh (23), Brazil (34), Cuba (41), France (67), Germany (75), Haiti (16), Hungary (41), Iran (23), Mexico (26), Russia (22), South Sudan (8), Switzerland (81), the United States (65), and Venezuela (10).
Meanwhile, seven countries significantly improved their CPI scores over the past five years, including Côte d’Ivoire (45), the Dominican Republic (36), Kosovo (44), Kuwait (46), the Maldives (38), Moldova (43), and Zambia (39).
Conversely, 13 nations saw substantial declines, including Austria (67), Belarus (33), Belgium (69), El Salvador (30), France (67), Kyrgyzstan (25), Lebanon (22), Myanmar (16), Nicaragua (14), Russia (22), Sri Lanka (32), the United Kingdom (71), and Venezuela (10).
