New Delhi, February 10 India has climbed five places to the 91st position out of 182 countries and territories on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025, released on Tuesday.
India's score has increased by one point compared to the previous year, while its ranking has improved from the 96th position, according to the latest CPI released by the global NGO Transparency International.
There has been slow progress in combating corruption in the Asia-Pacific region, as many countries experienced public anger in the previous year, the report by the Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog noted.
"The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that corruption remains a serious threat in every part of the world, although there are limited signs of progress."
"Leaders must act to address abuses of power and the underlying factors driving this decline, such as the rollback of democratic checks and balances, and attacks on independent civil society," the report said.
"Anti-government protests in many parts of the world show that people are fed up with unaccountable leadership and are demanding reform," it added.
The CPI ranks 182 countries and territories worldwide based on their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
The report also listed India among countries "dangerous for journalists reporting on corruption."
"When journalists are attacked or killed for investigating corruption, power cannot be effectively held accountable, and corruption tends to worsen. Since 2012, 829 journalists have been murdered in non-conflict zones worldwide.
"Over 90 per cent of these killings occurred in countries with a CPI score lower than 50, including Brazil (35), India (39), Mexico (27), Pakistan (28) and Iraq (28), which are particularly dangerous for journalists reporting on corruption," it noted.
"While 31 countries have significantly reduced their corruption levels since 2012, the rest are failing to address the problem – they have remained stagnant or have worsened 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 defenses, and undermines the hopes and dreams of young people," it said.
Denmark retained its position at the top of the index, scoring 89 points, ahead of Finland and Singapore. At the other end of the scale were South Sudan and Somalia, both registering nine points, followed by Venezuela. The top three nations saw no change, while South Sudan's one-point gain brought it level with Somalia.
While the US has been ranked at the 29th spot, the UK bagged the 20th spot.
"We are seeing a concerning picture of long-term decline in leadership to tackle corruption. Even established democracies, such as the US, the 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.
"At the same time, many states are increasing restrictions on civic space. By making it difficult or dangerous for citizens, NGOs and journalists to challenge abuses of power, they are reducing transparency and accountability. This allows corruption to flourish," the report said.