Kathmandu: Nepal has scored 34 points in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published by Transparency International (TI) Nepal, reflecting no improvement in corruption control compared to last year.

With the unchanged score, Nepal ranks 109th out of 182 countries, placing the country below the moderate level in corruption prevention. The CPI ranks countries on a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 indicates a highly transparent country and 0 represents the highest level of corruption.

The index is based on data collected from several international institutions, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, Bertelsmann Foundation, Global Insight, World Justice Project, and V-Dem Institute, among others.

Regional Comparison

Among South Asian countries, Bhutan ranked highest with 71 points, followed by Sri Lanka (35), India (30), Maldives (30), Pakistan (28), Bangladesh (24), and Afghanistan (16). Nepal’s northern neighbor scored 43 points, placing it ahead of Nepal in corruption control.

Key Challenges Identified

The report highlights several major factors contributing to persistent corruption in Nepal, including:

• Political instability
• Weak governance structures
• Abuse of public office
• Culture of impunity
• Lack of transparency in administrative systems

Despite increasing public movements, youth activism, and growing citizen pressure against corruption, TI Nepal noted that substantial policy reforms and structural changes remain limited.

The report also identifies high corruption risks in critical sectors such as public service delivery, contract procurement, taxation systems, and judicial processes. It stresses the importance of strengthening political commitment, ensuring full enforcement of laws, maintaining an independent judiciary, promoting administrative transparency, and increasing citizen participation to effectively combat corruption.

Global Corruption Trends

Transparency International’s global report indicates that corruption is worsening worldwide.

“Corruption is worsening globally, with even established democracies experiencing rising corruption amid a decline in leadership,” the report states.

François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International, emphasized that corruption can be addressed through strong democratic institutions and accountability mechanisms.

“Corruption is not inevitable. There is a clear blueprint for holding power accountable from democratic processes and independent oversight to a free and open civil society. Governments and leaders must act with integrity to ensure a better future for people worldwide,” he stated.

Globally, the average CPI score declined by one point to 42 this year. The number of countries scoring above 80 has dropped significantly from 12 countries a decade ago to just five in 2025. TI reports that corruption control has weakened in more than 50 countries since 2012, while only 31 countries have shown measurable improvement.

Currently, two-thirds of countries worldwide score below 50, indicating serious corruption concerns. Denmark remains the least corrupt country for the eighth consecutive year, scoring 89 points, while South Sudan and Somalia rank among the most corrupt nations, each scoring nine points.

TI Nepal’s Observations

TI Nepal President Madan Krishna Sharma stated that Nepal’s stagnant score reflects the government’s failure to implement concrete anti-corruption measures. Nepal’s evaluation was conducted based on governance data collected by six international organizations through August 2025.

Sharma further noted that corruption has caused significant losses in life and property, weakened governance systems, and increased public dissatisfaction.

“In this context, recent youth and Gen Z movements have strongly emphasized anti-corruption demands. Strong political commitment, full implementation of laws, adherence to international obligations, and strengthening regulatory institutions are essential to control corruption,” he said.

Former TI Nepal Chairperson Padmini Pradhananga highlighted the importance of electing honest and accountable leadership in the upcoming elections to curb corruption effectively.

Similarly, TI Nepal Secretary General Sagar Raj Sharma emphasized that Nepal has not made significant progress in corruption prevention and called for coordinated efforts from all sectors to address corruption challenges in the future.

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