Pakistan’s fight against corruption has hit a wall, according to the latest global assessment. The country’s performance in Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2025 reveals a landscape of institutional stagnation, with its overall score frozen at 28 out of 100.
A Stagnant Global Ranking
Pakistan was ranked 136th out of 182 countries in the 2025 index. This represents a slight decline in relative position from 135th out of 180 nations in 2024, though the addition of two more countries to the list complicates a direct year-on-year comparison. The stagnant score suggests that perceived levels of public-sector corruption have not improved.
Mixed Signals from Data Sources
Transparency International compiles its index from eight independent data sources. The 2025 report for Pakistan presented a mixed picture:
- One Source Showed Improvement: The Varieties of Democracy Project increased Pakistan’s rating, indicating a perceived relative improvement in corruption within political and state institutions. However, analysts note this was not supported by stronger enforcement or rule-of-law indicators.
- Two Sources Reported Decline: The World Economic Forum’s Executive Opinion Survey and the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index both lowered Pakistan’s scores. These declines point to worsening business perceptions regarding bribery and a continued weakness in holding officials accountable for abusing public office.
- Five Sources Showed No Change: The majority of data sources reported no year-on-year improvement, signaling a concerning lack of progress across key areas.
Areas of Persistent Weakness
The data from sources that reported no change highlights deep-rooted, systemic issues. Persistent weaknesses were identified in:
- The prosecution of corrupt officials.
- Public financial controls and civil-service professionalism.
- Judicial independence.
- Risks of bribery faced by businesses.
- Political patronage, nepotism, and opaque ties between politics and business.
- Executive accountability and transparency.
The report underscores a significant challenge for Pakistan: perceived improvements at a political level are not translating into stronger institutional checks, enforcement, or rule of law, leaving the country’s overall corruption perception unchanged.
