Bangladesh has ranked 13th among the world’s most corrupt countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025, according to a report published by Berlin-based Transparency International (TI).

Among 182 countries assessed, Bangladesh scored 24 out of 100, placing it 150th in the global ranking. The country was ranked 14th among the most corrupt nations last year.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) formally released the report on Tuesday (10 February) morning at its office in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi.

According to the report, Denmark topped the list of the least corrupt countries with a score of 89, while South Sudan and Somalia jointly ranked as the most corrupt, each scoring just 9 points. No country achieved a perfect score in this year’s index, TI noted.

TIB said Bangladesh’s one-point increase in score this year reflects the immediate positive expectations surrounding democratic and accountable governance following the July uprising.

However, it added that the data sources used for the CPI did not yet include the subsequent realities of the state reform process.

The organisation observed that, due to the lack of tangible progress in state reforms, Bangladesh’s overall score and position have not seen any significant positive change.

The CPI 2025 also highlighted that around 80 per cent of the world’s population lives in countries with high levels of corruption, indicating a worsening global trend.

TI noted that corruption is rising even in countries that claim to uphold democratic values.