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Top 10 most corrupt countries in the world in 2025: Check where India ranks

Most corrupt countries in the world list: Countries affected by war, authoritarian rule or extremely weak institutions sit at the bottom of the index, which is reflected in their very low CPI scores.

3 min readNew DelhiDec 10, 2025 06:56 PM IST

Most corrupt countries in the world: South Sudan tops the list

List of most corrupt countries in the world in 2025: Corruption is a problem that almost every country struggles with in some form, and it affects daily life, economies and people’s trust in public systems. To understand how serious the issue is around the world, organisations like Transparency International release the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which gives a clearer picture of where corruption is most widespread.

Instead of pointing fingers, this list looks at global rankings to understand the conditions and challenges different countries face.

The CPI gathers information from trusted sources, including surveys and detailed studies by experts and business leaders. It evaluates factors like bribery, misuse of public resources and how strong a country’s anti-corruption systems are. Countries that score low are seen as more corrupt, while higher scores show cleaner public sectors. The 2024 CPI examines 180 countries, scoring them from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). It also encourages transparency and pushes governments to take stronger action against corruption for better governance and development.

Countries affected by war, authoritarian rule or extremely weak institutions sit at the bottom of the index, which is reflected in their very low CPI scores.

South Sudan tops the list as the world’s most corrupt nation in 2024 with a score of 8. It moved ahead of Somalia, which closely followed at 9 points. Venezuela and Syria are next, with scores of 10 and 12.

Transparency International said that corruption levels remain “very high” globally in 2024, and progress has slowed. Although 32 countries have shown real improvement since 2012, a large majority, 148 nations, have stayed the same or become worse.

Where does India stand in CPI 2024?

India ranks 96th out of 180 countries in the 2024 CPI, with a score of 38. While this is a slight improvement, corruption continues to affect many areas of public life. It slows down development, weakens public services and reduces people’s confidence in institutions. Tackling corruption will require more openness, stronger laws and stricter enforcement.

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Among India’s neighbours, Pakistan is ranked 135, Sri Lanka is at 121, Bangladesh is at 149, and China stands at 76.

Top 10 most corrupt countries in the world:

Rank	Country	CPI 2024 Score
1.	South Sudan	8
2.	Somalia	9
3.	Venezuela	10
4.	Syria	12
5.	Yemen	13
6.	Libya	13
7.	Eritrea	13
8.	Equatorial Guinea	13
9.	Sudan	15
10.	North Korea	15