Global Corruption Report Reveals Democratic Backsliding and US Concerns
Established democracies are demonstrating weakening efforts against public-sector corruption according to a comprehensive global survey released on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The annual Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International serves as a crucial barometer of perceived corruption worldwide and has raised significant concerns about developments in the United States alongside the international impact of American funding reductions.
Most Nations Failing as Democratic Scores Slip
The organization's detailed analysis reveals that most countries are failing to maintain adequate control over corruption, with a staggering 122 out of 182 surveyed nations and territories scoring below 50 points on the 100-point scale. The global average has declined to 42 points, representing the lowest level recorded in over a decade. Only five countries managed to achieve scores above 80 in the 2025 report, a sharp decrease from twelve nations a decade earlier.
Transparency International's report lamented what it described as "a failure of good governance and accountable leadership" becoming increasingly common. The organization specifically highlighted "a worrying trend of democracies seeing worsening perceived corruption" across multiple established nations. Denmark maintained its top position with 89 points, followed closely by Finland and Singapore, while South Sudan and Somalia shared the bottom position with just 9 points each.
Established Democracies Show Concerning Declines
Several high-performing democracies demonstrated notable declines in their corruption perception scores. New Zealand dropped two points to 81, while Sweden remained unchanged at 80 points. More significantly, major Western democracies including Canada (75 points), the United Kingdom (70 points), France (66 points), and the United States (64 points) all recorded concerningly low scores that reflect growing governance challenges.
The report emphasized that even high-scoring democracies are not immune to corruption perception declines, suggesting broader systemic issues affecting democratic governance structures worldwide. This trend represents a substantial shift from previous years when established democracies consistently led global anti-corruption efforts.
United States Records Worst Performance Since 2012
The United States experienced particular scrutiny in the 2025 report, dropping one point from 2024 to achieve its lowest score since Transparency International adopted its current methodology in 2012. This decline places America in 29th position globally during the first year of President Donald Trump's second term.
Transparency International's analysis identified multiple concerning developments contributing to this decline, stating: "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."
Foreign Policy Decisions Amplify Global Concerns
The organization further criticized American foreign policy decisions, arguing that the U.S. decision "to temporarily freeze and then degrade enforcement of its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ... sends a dangerous signal that bribery and other corrupt practices are acceptable." President Trump defended this policy shift a year earlier, stating that while the 1977 anti-bribery legislation "sounds good on paper but in practicality, it's a disaster" that unfairly disadvantages American companies against foreign competitors.
Separately, Transparency International highlighted how "U.S. aid cuts to funding for overseas civil society groups that scrutinize their governments has undermined anti-corruption efforts around the world." The organization contended that "political leaders in various countries have also taken this as a cue to further target and restrict independent voices, such as NGOs and journalists," creating a ripple effect that weakens global anti-corruption infrastructure.
Global Landscape Shows Mixed Progress
The comprehensive index measures expert perceptions of public-sector corruption using thirteen distinct data sources, including assessments from the World Bank, World Economic Forum, and multiple private risk and consulting companies. Since 2012, fifty countries have experienced significant score declines, with Hungary (40 points), Turkey (31 points), and Nicaragua (14 points) among the most substantial fallers.
Conversely, thirty-one nations have demonstrated significant improvements, with Estonia (76 points), the Seychelles (68 points), and South Korea (63 points) highlighted as notable success stories. Russia remained near the bottom of the index with an unchanged score of 22 points, with Transparency International citing "fully centralized, opaque governance that suppresses media, civil society and political opposition" as contributing factors.
Ukraine showed modest improvement despite ongoing conflict, increasing one point to 36 following energy-sector corruption scandals that prompted high-level resignations. The organization noted that civil-society mobilization protected key anti-corruption institutions and investigations increased, though emphasized that "further reforms are needed to protect defense and reconstruction funds from misuse" as the nation continues its recovery efforts.
