India Improves to 91st Rank in Corruption Perceptions Index 2025

India Advances in Global Corruption Perceptions Index 2025

India has registered a measured improvement in its global corruption ranking, climbing five places to secure the 91st position in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025. The shift reflects incremental progress in perceived public sector integrity amid persistent governance and accountability challenges.

India’s Score and Ranking Dynamics

In CPI 2025, India improved its score by one point compared to the previous year, resulting in a rise from 96th to 91st place. The CPI evaluates countries on a scale of 0 to 100, where lower scores denote higher perceived corruption and higher scores indicate cleaner public institutions. India’s marginal score increase suggests gradual progress rather than a broad-based structural transformation. Analysts note that such movements often reflect perception shifts influenced by governance reforms, enforcement measures, and institutional performance.

Regional Patterns in the Asia-Pacific

The CPI 2025 report highlights uneven trends across the Asia-Pacific region. Several economies continue to struggle with weak enforcement mechanisms, political financing concerns, and transparency deficits. Transparency International observed that corruption perceptions remain closely linked to public trust, administrative efficiency, and regulatory oversight. Many countries recorded stagnation or limited gains, underscoring systemic governance constraints across developing and emerging markets.

Global Integrity Landscape

At the global level, the average CPI score declined to 42, marking the lowest recorded level since the index’s inception. More than two-thirds of assessed countries scored below 50, signalling widespread concerns over public sector accountability. The report emphasises that corruption continues to undermine economic resilience, public service delivery, disaster preparedness, and sustainable development outcomes. Governance experts argue that rising geopolitical tensions, fiscal stress, and regulatory complexity have intensified integrity risks worldwide.

Press Freedom and Accountability Concerns

The report also underscores the relationship between corruption and civic space. Countries with lower CPI scores frequently exhibit elevated risks for journalists investigating corruption-related issues. Transparency International highlighted that threats to press freedom, restrictions on civil society, and weakened institutional checks contribute significantly to governance vulnerabilities. Limitations on independent scrutiny reduce transparency and hinder anti-corruption enforcement.

Exam-Focused Points

• Corruption Perceptions Index is published annually by Transparency International.

• CPI scores range from 0 (high perceived corruption) to 100 (low perceived corruption).

• India ranked 91st in CPI 2025 with a one-point score improvement.

• Global average CPI score declined to 42 in 2025.

• Governance quality and accountability mechanisms strongly influence CPI rankings.