ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most corrupt countries, according to the latest annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published by Transparency International.
The latest 2025 CPI shows that Afghanistan scored just 16 points out of 100, placing it 169th out of 182 countries and territories. The latest figures show a slight drop from last year’s score of 17 and ranking of 165th.
Transparency International measures perceived levels of public-sector corruption on a scale from zero, indicating very high corruption, to 100, indicating very clean governance.
The report also shows that Afghanistan’s position has worsened steadily over recent years under the Taliban administration — falling from 150th place in 2022, with 24 points, to its current standing.
Globally, the CPI paints a troubling picture: the average score dropped to a historic low of 42, with 122 out of 182 countries scoring below 50, reflecting widespread corruption in public sectors worldwide. Only five countries scored above 80, compared with 12 just a decade ago.
At the top of the index, Denmark, Finland, Singapore, New Zealand and Norway rank as the least corrupt nations. At the bottom are South Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela, Yemen and Libya — together with Afghanistan among the worst performers.
Transparency International highlights the growing global challenge of corruption, noting that weaker democratic checks and restricted civic space often coincide with deteriorating perceptions of transparency and governance. In the 50 countries with the steepest declines in CPI scores, 36 have tightened restrictions on civil liberties, the report finds.
Fragile states like Afghanistan are especially vulnerable, Transparency International says, due to limited civic space, opaque political financing systems and a lack of independent judicial institutions — conditions that undermine accountability and enable corruption to persist.
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