Nigeria has dropped to 142nd position out of 182 countries in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, down from 140th in 2024.
The country retained its score of 26 points—same as last year—placing it 36th among the world’s most corrupt nations and sharing the ranking with Cameroon, Guatemala, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, and Papua New Guinea.
The CPI, which gauges perceived public-sector corruption on a 0-100 scale (0 highly corrupt, 100 very clean), showed Nigeria’s stagnation amid global challenges, with Transparency International noting widespread decline or plateau in anti-corruption efforts.
Denmark led as the least corrupt globally, followed by Finland, Singapore, and New Zealand, while no African nation cracked the top 10 cleanest countries.
Seychelles, Cabo Verde, and Botswana topped Africa’s least corrupt rankings, contrasting sharply with Nigeria’s position.
At the bottom, Venezuela ranked as the world’s most corrupt, joined by South Sudan and Somalia among the worst performers.
Transparency International highlighted corruption as a persistent global barrier, urging stronger institutional reforms.
