Corrupt Countries: What TI’s 2025 data reveals about Nigeria

Nigeria has been ranked the 36th most corrupt country globally in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International (TI).

The report showed that Nigeria fell from 140th place in 2024 to 142nd out of 182 countries in 2025. On the CPI, number 1 represents the cleanest country, while 182 is the most corrupt.

Despite this drop in ranking, Nigeria kept its position as the 36th most corrupt country, tied with Cameroon, Guatemala, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, and Papua New Guinea. Nigeria scored 26 points on the index.

The ranking measures perceived corruption in public institutions worldwide.

Denmark was named the least corrupt country with 89 points, followed by Finland (88), Singapore (84), and New Zealand (81).

No African country made the top 10 cleanest nations, but within Africa, Seychelles, Cabo Verde, and Botswana were among the least corrupt, scoring 68, 62, and 58 points respectively.

At the bottom of the list, South Sudan and Somalia were ranked joint second-most corrupt, while Venezuela was the most corrupt country.

Maíra Martini, CEO of Transparency International, explained that the CPI scores countries from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

She warned that corruption continues to be a global problem, with the global average score dropping to 42, and more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50.

She said corruption affects people’s lives by leading to underfunded hospitals, unbuilt flood defenses, and lost opportunities for young people.

Martini also raised concerns about weak leadership and restrictions on civil society and press freedom, which she said make it harder to fight corruption. She called on world leaders to take urgent action to tackle abuses of power and restore accountability.