US falls to 29th in global corruption rankings, worst in history

The U.S. fell to 29th place, its worst ranking since 2012 when the index adopted its current methodology. The U.S. tied with the Bahamas and ranked behind Lithuania (28th), Barbados (24th), and Uruguay (17th).

The U.S. reached its peak score of 75 in 2015. Since then, the ranking has declined for a decade straight.

Denmark topped the index for the eighth consecutive year with a score of 89. Finland and Singapore tied for second place with scores of 88 and 87.

At the bottom were South Sudan and Somalia, both scoring 9. Venezuela ranked 178th with a score of 10. The global average score of 42 was the lowest in over a decade and marked the first decline in more than 10 years.

Transparency International directly cited Trump administration actions in January 2025 as drivers of the decline. The Justice Department paused Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, which prosecutes corporate foreign bribery.

The administration cut U.S. aid for overseas civil society anti-corruption programs. The organization warned that actions targeting independent voices and undermining judicial independence raise serious concerns.

Transparency International CEO Maíra Martini told CNN on Feb. 10 that the organization is very concerned about the situation in the United States and warned the declining trend will likely continue. The organization's statement noted that although 2025 developments aren't yet fully reflected in the 2024 index, early actions signal tolerance for corrupt business practices.

The U.S. decline mirrors broader democratic backsliding. Canada and the United Kingdom also saw declining scores.

The global average fell to 42, the lowest in over a decade. Transparency International stated that the vast majority of countries are failing to keep corruption under control. Of 180 ranked countries, 148 have stayed stagnant or gotten worse since 2012.

The index focuses on public sector corruption, not private sector. High scores don't necessarily reflect low corruption across the board.

Switzerland and Singapore, despite high rankings, have faced scrutiny for facilitating the movement of dirty money, Transparency International noted. The index measures perception of corruption based on expert assessments and business surveys, not direct measurements of corrupt acts.