Nepal's Corruption Perception Score Remains Stagnant at 34, Indicating Lack of Significant Improvement

Kathmandu. According to the Corruption Perception Index, 2025, released by Transparency International Nepal (TI), Nepal has once again secured 34 points this year. The index suggests that with the score remaining the same as last year, no significant improvement has been observed in the state of corruption control.

In the index covering 180 countries worldwide, Nepal remains in a weaker-than-average position with 34 points out of 100. According to the index, zero points denotes the most corrupt country, and 100 points denotes the most transparent country. According to the details published by TI Nepal, the index determination for Nepal was based on data from international organizations such as the World Bank, World Economic Forum, Bertelsmann Foundation, Global Insight, World Justice Project, V-Dem, among others.

Among South Asian nations, Bhutan scored the highest with 71 points, while India scored 39, Maldives 39, Sri Lanka 35, Pakistan 28, Bangladesh 24, and Afghanistan 16 points. Neighboring China scored 43 points. TI concludes that corruption remains a serious problem in most South Asian countries except for Bhutan. Political instability, weak governance, misuse of public office, impunity, and lack of transparency are cited as the main reasons for the stagnation of the index.

The report notes that despite increasing public movements, youth activism, and civil pressure, these have not translated into concrete policy or structural reforms. TI Nepal concludes that the risk of corruption remains high in public service delivery, contracts and leases, the tax system, and judicial processes. TI Nepal emphasized the need to strengthen political will, full implementation of laws, an independent judiciary, transparent administration, and citizen participation to control corruption. The index prepared by TI, evaluating the state of corruption worldwide, included 182 countries this year.

The global average score has dropped by one point compared to last year, falling to 42. The index indicates that 100 points represent the most transparent state and 0 points the most corrupt state. A decade ago, 12 countries scored above 80 in the index, which has now been limited to five in 2025. According to TI, the state of corruption control has weakened in more than 50 countries since 2012, while only 31 countries have shown improvement. Overall, two-thirds of the world's countries scored below 50.

Denmark tops the index for the eighth consecutive year as the least corrupt country with 89 points. South Sudan and Somalia are at the bottom of the list of most corrupt countries with 9 points each. Madan Krishna Sharma, Chairman of TI Nepal, stated that Nepal's score remaining stable at 34 this year, same as last year, signals a lack of concrete action by governments against corruption. Nepal's evaluation was based on governance data up to August 2025 from six international organizations.

According to Chairman Sharma, Nepal has suffered significant loss of life and property due to corruption, governance has weakened, and public dissatisfaction has increased. "Against this backdrop, the recently seen Gen Z and youth movements were centered against corruption," he said, "Firm commitment from political leadership, full implementation of laws, adherence to international commitments, and strengthening regulatory bodies are essential for controlling corruption."

Former Chairperson Padmini Pradhanang stated that the need of the hour is to elect honest and committed leadership through the upcoming elections, free from involvement in corruption. TI Nepal Secretary General Sagar Raj Sharma noted that Nepal has not succeeded in the area of corruption prevention and emphasized the need for initiatives from all sectors in the days ahead to prevent corruption.