Nigeria has been ranked as the 36th most corrupt country in the world in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by global anti-graft watchdog Transparency International (TI), underscoring persistent challenges in tackling public sector corruption.
According to the latest index, Nigeria dropped from 140th in 2024 to 142nd out of 182 countries and territories assessed in 2025, although it retained the same position among the top 40 most corrupt nations worldwide.
Under TI’s scoring methodology — where 0 indicates a highly corrupt public sector and 100 represents very clean governance — Nigeria recorded a score of 26 points, the same low tally as the previous year.
Global and Regional Context
Denmark topped the 2025 CPI as the least corrupt country with 89 points, followed by Finland (88), Singapore (84) and New Zealand (81), according to the TI report.
No African nation placed in the top 10 cleanest countries. Within the continent, Seychelles (68), Cabo Verde (62) and Botswana (58) emerged as the least corrupt. Meanwhile, South Sudan, Somalia and Venezuela ranked among the most corrupt globally.
Nigeria shares its CPI position with Cameroon, Guatemala, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan and Papua New Guinea, all scoring 26 points.
Corruption’s Wider Impact
TI’s Chief Executive Officer, Maíra Martini, explained that the 2025 CPI assesses perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide and sounded a warning about worsening governance trends.
“The global average has fallen to a new low of 42, while more than two-thirds of countries score below 50,” Martini said, noting that corruption undermines public services, weakens institutions and hampers economic and social progress.
Transparency.org
She added that declining leadership to tackle corruption and increasing restrictions on civic space, press freedom, and independent oversight are contributing to stagnation or deterioration in anti-corruption performance.
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Calls for Action
The latest ranking underscores the urgent need for stronger political will, institutional reforms, and robust enforcement mechanisms to improve transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s public sector.
As TI’s CPI highlights, progress remains limited for many countries — not just Nigeria — placing added pressure on governments to reverse entrenched corruption and strengthen governance.
Transparency.org