Context: 

India ranked 96 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024, according to the Transparency International report.

About Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)

CPI is the most widely used global corruption ranking in the world. 

The index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption.

The index uses a scale from 0 to 100, where:

• 0 indicates highly corrupt,
• 100 indicates corruption-free.

The score of each country is derived from at least three data sources, selected from 13 distinct corruption surveys and assessments.

These sources are gathered by a range of reputed organisations, such as the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.

This year's index also highlights the connection between climate action and corruption.

Key Findings of Index

Top performing countries: Denmark topped the list of being the least-corrupt nation, followed by Finland and Singapore.

• Most Corrupt Countries: South Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela.

India’s ranking: India ranked 96 out of 180 countries in the 2024 CPI.

• India’s score dropped to 38 in 2024, down from 39 in 2023 and 40 in 2022.
• India’s ranking was 93 in 2023.

Comparison with Neighbors:

• China: Ranked 76
• Sri Lanka: Ranked 121
• Pakistan: Ranked 135
• Bangladesh: Ranked 149

The Global Average is 43, and it has remained stagnant for years.

• Over two-thirds of countries have a score below 50. 
• In the Asia-Pacific region, the average score for the region has dropped by one point to 44 as the countries are still failing to deliver on anti-corruption pledges.

Improvement in Some Countries: 32 countries have significantly reduced their corruption levels since 2012, while 148 countries have either stagnated or worsened.

Link between corruption and climate change: 

• Corruption is strongly intertwined with climate change.
• Climate Finance intended to help vulnerable populations suffering from global heating is often stolen or misused due to corruption.
• Corruption also impedes policy implementation, hindering efforts to address climate change and leading to further environmental damage.

Corruption not only undermines development in a country but is also a key cause of declining democracy, instability, and human rights violations.

Calls for Action:

• Urgency to Tackle Corruption: The international community and individual nations must prioritize fighting corruption to push back against authoritarianism and ensure a peaceful, free, and sustainable.
• Concrete action: The report stresses the need for immediate and concrete action to tackle global corruption.