The United States has just landed at its in a key measure of public sector corruption. This index puts the country at 29th out of 182 nations, with a score of 64 out of 100, where 100 means very clean and 0 means highly corrupt. That marks a continued slide over the past decade, and it ties the U.S. with places like the Bahamas.
Transparency International puts out this Corruption Perceptions Index, or CPI, every year. The group started it back in 1995, and they reworked the method in 2012 to make it more consistent. They pull data from about 13 different surveys that ask business leaders and experts how corrupt they think public sectors are in each country. These sources include reports from the World Bank and World Economic Forum, among others. The final score blends those views into one number for each nation. It’s not a direct count of bribes or scandals, but a snapshot of how corruption looks through informed eyes.
This annual release comes out in February each year, covering the prior 12 months of data. For the 2025 edition, out today, reflects trends up to late last year, though some 2025 events might not fully show up yet. Transparency International, a global nonprofit with chapters in over 100 countries, uses the CPI to push governments toward stronger rules and openness. They fund it through donations and grants, and it’s free to access on their site.
Experts point to a mix of issues dragging the U.S. score down. High profile ethics problems at the Supreme Court played a big role, with scandals leading to a new code that lacks strong enforcement. Political moves have also raised flags, like pauses in enforcing anti bribery laws and cuts to aid that supports global watchdogs. Over the last ten years, the score fell from around 74 to 64, showing a steady trend.
President Trumps return to office gets some mention, with concerns over targeting critics and weakening oversight bodies. Yet the decline started earlier, tied to broader shifts in how public trust works in polarized times. The index notes risks from industry sway on policy and uneven prosecution choices. These factors make people see more tolerance for shady dealings in government.
Canada shows a similar slip, part of a pattern in stable democracies. Its score dropped in the 2025 CPI to 16th, landing below some peers as issues like procurement lapses and ethics enforcement weaken perceptions. Unlike the U.S., Canada held a stronger rank for years, but recent years show stagnation around 75. Both countries face questions on political funding and institutional trust, though Canada avoids the same level of judicial scrutiny. Transparency International calls this a wake up call for Western nations to rebuild leadership on integrity.
To build the CPI, Transparency International gathers expert opinions from trusted sources. They standardize the data so scores stay comparable year over year. A country needs data from at least three sources to get ranked, which keeps the list at 180 to 182 nations. Denmark leads again with 89, while places like South Sudan score near the bottom at 9. The global average hit 42, its lowest in over a decade, with two thirds of countries below 50.
This method has limits. It captures perceptions, not hard proof of corruption, and focuses only on public sectors. Private firms in top scorers like Switzerland still face money laundering probes. Still, the index shapes policy, as leaders respond to the rankings.
More than 40 countries hit record lows this year, from Turkey to Nicaragua. Democracies overall faltered, while a few like South Korea climbed through reforms. Transparency International warns that without bold steps, corruption embeds deeper in power structures. For the U.S., future scores might dip further if recent aid freezes and enforcement gaps persist.
The CPI reminds us that even strong systems need constant care. Business readers watching markets know trust underpins deals and growth. As these scores evolve, they signal where reforms might unlock steadier progress.
