Nepal’s score in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has dropped to 34 from 35 in 2023, signaling an urgent need for more effective anti-corruption measures, according to Transparency International Nepal.
Despite this decline in score, Nepal’s global ranking improved slightly from 108th in 2023 to 107th in 2024 among 180 countries and territories. However, Transparency International, the Berlin-based global corruption watchdog, emphasized that the score —not the rank—is a more accurate indicator of corruption levels, as it reflects perceived public sector corruption.
The CPI, the organization’s flagship publication, remains the world’s most widely referenced corruption ranking.
The latest index comes amid growing concerns over Nepal’s potential inclusion on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ‘grey list’ due to weak enforcement of anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.
The CPI scores countries on a scale from 0 to 100, with 100 representing very clean governance and 0 indicating extreme corruption.
In the South Asian region, Bhutan leads with a score of 72, followed by India and the Maldives at 38 each. Nepal’s score of 34 places it ahead of Sri Lanka (32), Pakistan (27), Bangladesh (23), and Afghanistan (17), while neighboring China has scored 43, ranking 76th globally.
Denmark has maintained its position as the least corrupt country across the globe for the seventh consecutive year, scoring 90 points, while South Sudan ranks as the most corrupt with just 8 points.
Transparency International compiles the CPI using data from up to 13 international surveys and expert assessments.
For Nepal, the score is based on surveys conducted by six organizations focusing on governance and corruption. The World Bank evaluates government decision-making, resource management, accountability, citizen access to information, and the influence of vested interests. The World Economic Forum assesses corruption in areas such as imports/exports, public services, taxation, public procurement, and judicial decisions.
Similarly, Global Insight examines corruption risks in business operations, procurement, trade, and daily administrative functions. The Bertelsmann Foundation reviews legal actions against public officials for abuse of power and assesses the government’s effectiveness in controlling corruption.
The World Justice Project analyzes the misuse of public office for personal gain across government bodies, judiciary, parliament, and security sectors, while the Varieties of Democracy Project (V-Dem) focuses on political corruption within government institutions.
Globally, seven countries have made significant progress in combating corruption over the past five years. However, in 2024, two-thirds of the countries surveyed scored below 50, with the global average score remaining at 43, the same as last year.
Countries with lower scores are often fragile or conflict-affected, but surprisingly, even nations actively engaged in global climate change initiatives have received low scores, highlighting persistent corruption challenges in environmental governance.
