ZAGREB, 10 Feb (Hina) – Corruption is worsening globally, with even established democracies experiencing rising corruption amid a decline in leadership, warned Transparency International in its 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, in which Croatia maintained the same ranking as the previous year — 63rd place.
Transparency International, a non-governmental organisation based in Berlin, has been publishing the Index since 1995, ranking 182 countries worldwide on the basis of data from various private companies and organisations, including the World Bank.
This association reported on Tuesday that it is seeing “a concerning picture of long-term decline in leadership to tackle corruption.”
“Even established democracies, like the US, 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.”
The NGO reports that according to its measurement of corruption perception, in 2025 only five countries received a score higher than 80, compared with 12 a decade ago.
Denmark tops the list with 89 points, followed by Finland, Singapore, New Zealand and Norway. South Sudan is ranked as the most corrupt country, followed by Somalia, Venezuela, Yemen and Libya.
Croatia, as in 2024, ranks 63rd with 47 points, after a decline compared with 2023, when it scored 50.
In the region, Slovenia performs best at 41st place, while Serbia fares worst at 116th, between Panama and Thailand. Hungary is ranked 84th, Bosnia and Herzegovina 109th, Montenegro 65th, and Kosovo 76th.
Transparency International warns that the United States has fallen to its lowest score since the Index was first published, although not all developments from last year –В such as the undermining of judicial independence — have yet been fully reflected.
The non-governmental organisation also warns of a stagnation in the fight against corruption in many European countries.
Since 2021, the situation has worsened in 13 of them, while it has improved in only seven.
