Nigeria has been ranked as the 37th most corrupt country in the world in 2025, slipping slightly in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)
It moved from 140th in 2024 to 142nd in 2025, out of 182 countries, according to the latest report by Transparency International.
The number one nation on the list represents the country with the least corruption and 182 is the most corrupt.
Nigeria scored 26 points, sharing the position with Cameroon, Guatemala, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, and Papua New Guinea.
The CPI measures perceived corruption in the public sector across 182 countries and territories.
Denmark topped the list as the least corrupt nation with 89 points, followed by Finland (88), Singapore (84), and New Zealand (81).
No African country made the top 10 least corrupt nations, though Seychelles, Cabo Verde, and Botswana were the continent’s least corrupt, scoring 68, 62, and 58.
At the bottom of the list are South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela, emerging as the world’s most corrupt countries.
Commenting on the CPI, TI CEO Maíra Martini said: “The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index ranks 182 countries and territories worldwide by their perceived levels of public-sector corruption. 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 during the same period. The global average has fallen to a new low of 42, while more than two-thirds of countries score below 50. And people are paying the price, as corruption leads to under-funded hospitals, unbuilt flood defences, and blights the hopes and dreams of young people.”
She added: “We’re seeing a concerning picture of long-term decline in leadership to tackle corruption. Even established democracies, like the US, UK and New Zealand, are experiencing a drop in performance. The absence of bold leadership is leading to weaker standards and enforcement, lowering ambition on anti-corruption efforts around the world.”
Marini said many states were increasing restrictions on civic space, stressing that by making it hard or dangerous for citizens, non-governmental organisations and journalists to challenge abuses of power, they are reducing transparency and accountability. This, she said, allowed corruption to flourish.
The official urged leaders to act fast and tackle abuses of power and the wider factors driving corruption, including the roll-back of democratic checks and balances, and attacks on independent civil society.
He further explained that anti-government protests in many parts of the world showed that people were fed up with unaccountable leadership and were demanding reform.
(ICIR)
