ISLAMABAD: Pakistan improved its standing in international corruption perceptions, scoring 28 out of 100 in Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index released Tuesday.

The gain reflects ongoing institutional reforms and enhanced oversight mechanisms aimed at strengthening governance, according to the Berlin-based watchdog organization. Pakistan ranked alongside Iraq, Liberia, Mali and Bolivia in the latest assessment.

The country has pursued judicial reforms and increased transparency measures in recent years while working to strengthen accountability institutions. The improvement comes as Pakistan continues efforts to address governance challenges across multiple government sectors.

Transparency International's index measures perceived levels of public-sector corruption across 182 countries and territories using 13 independent data sources that reflect assessments from business executives and country experts. Scores range from zero, indicating high corruption, to 100, representing very clean governance.

The global picture showed concerning trends, with the worldwide average dropping to 42 out of 100, marking the first decline in more than a decade. Over two-thirds of countries scored below 50, indicating serious corruption problems in most parts of the world.

The organization noted that sustained improvements require comprehensive legal reforms and protection of civic freedoms. Countries showing long-term gains have typically implemented broad institutional changes while safeguarding press independence and civil society organizations.

The index draws on expert perceptions of corruption in the public sector rather than measuring specific corrupt activities directly.

Denmark leads 2025 rankings
Meanwhile, Denmark led the 2025 rankings with a score of 89, maintaining its position for the eighth consecutive year. Finland scored 88, Singapore 84, New Zealand 81 and Norway 81. Somalia and South Sudan tied for last place at nine points each.

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Pakistan records improvement in 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index