According to a Transparency International report released on Tuesday (February 11, 2025), India’s overall score fell one point to 38, placing it 96th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024.
On a scale of zero to 100, where “zero” denotes extreme corruption and “100” denotes extreme cleanliness, the index rates 180 nations and territories according to experts’ and businesspeople’s assessments of public sector corruption. India received an overall score of 38 in 2024, 39 in 2023, and 40 in 2022. In 2023, India came in at number 93.
Bangladesh’s position was even lower at 149, while Pakistan (135) and Sri Lanka (121) struggled with their respective poor rankings among India’s neighbors. China came in at number 76. Singapore, Finland, and Denmark were the next least corrupt countries on the list.
According to the 2024 CPI, corruption is a serious issue everywhere in the world, but many nations are seeing positive changes. Additionally, studies have shown that corruption poses a serious risk to climate action. It impedes efforts to cut emissions and prepare for the inevitable consequences of global warming.
There is still plenty to be done, since 148 countries have either remained the same or gone worse within the same time period, despite the fact that 32 countries have seen a major decrease in corruption since 2012. More than two-thirds of nations have scored below 50, and the worldwide average of 43 has been stagnant for years. Billions of people live in countries where corruption destroys lives and undermines human rights.
“Huge numbers of people around the world suffer severe consequences of global heating, as funds intended to help countries cut greenhouse gas emissions and protect vulnerable populations are stolen or misused. At the same time, corruption in the form of undue influence obstructs policies aimed at addressing the climate crisis and leads to environmental damage,” the report said.
It further stated that preventing corruption in climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives will increase their efficacy and help those in need. According to the analysis, many nations with high CPI scores have the means and influence to promote climate action that is resistant to corruption globally, yet they frequently work in ways that benefit fossil fuel corporations. “Some of these countries are also home to financial hubs that attract illicit funds stemming from corruption, environmental destruction and other crime. While the CPI does not measure this, dirty money poses a major corruption problem with harmful effects that reach far beyond these countries’ borders,” it said.
Corruption is a dynamic worldwide problem that contributes to instability, deteriorating democracy, and human rights abuses in addition to undermining prosperity. According to the report, combating corruption must be a top and sustained priority for the international community and all nations. “This is crucial to pushing back against authoritarianism and securing a peaceful, free and sustainable world. The dangerous trends revealed in this year’s Corruption Perceptions Index highlight the need to follow through with concrete action now to address global corruption,” it said.
