A good news related to India’s image in the world has come to light. India’s ranking has improved in the ‘Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025’ released by Transparency International, an international organization that monitors corruption. In this list of 182 countries, India has jumped five places and has now reached number 91. However, the report still expressed serious concerns about the safety of journalists and reporting against corruption.
What did the report say about India’s ranking?
According to the report released on Tuesday, India has improved its position compared to last year. India was at 96th position in 2024, which has now improved to 91st position.
- Slight increase in score: The index rates countries on a scale from 0 (extremely corrupt) to 100 (extremely clean). India’s score has increased by 1 point compared to last year and has reached 39.
- Behind the global average: Despite the improvement, India’s score (39) is still below the global average (42). The report shows that corruption remains a serious problem in countries with scores below 50.
Denmark on top, America and Britain slipped
Denmark has maintained its dominance in the index. With 89 points it remains the least corrupt country in the world. After this comes Finland and Singapore.
At the same time, a decline has been seen in the established economies of the world. America is at 29th and Britain at 20th. South Sudan and Somalia are at the bottom of the list, with a score of just 9. The report said that even in strong democracies like America and Britain, the standards of dealing with corruption are declining.
India described as dangerous for journalists reporting corruption
The improvement in ranking is a good sign from the point of view of business and investment, but one aspect of the report is also worrying. Transparency International has placed India in the category of countries that are ‘dangerous for journalists reporting on corruption’.
- alarm: According to the report, of the 829 journalists killed worldwide since 2012, 90% of the killings have occurred in countries with a CPI score of less than 50.
- Other countries: Apart from India (39), Brazil (35), Mexico (27) and Pakistan (28) are also included in this category. The organization says that when journalists are targeted, it becomes difficult to fix accountability and corruption increases.
Declining accountability among countries around the world
The report described anti-corruption progress in the Asia-Pacific region as slow. It also warned that people around the world are angry at the lack of accountability and are protesting. The message for India is clear – the improvement in ranking is welcome, but the score of 39 shows that there is still a long way to go to be ‘corruption free’.
