The results of the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), released last week by Transparency International, reveal a deep political crisis in concepts of leadership and accountability—one that extends from fragile states to Western democracies that have long presented themselves as models of good governance.
The index, which assessed 182 countries and territories and drew on 13 independent international sources, recorded a global average score of 42 out of 100, its lowest level in more than a decade. More strikingly, over two-thirds of the world’s countries now score below the 50-point threshold, indicating that corruption has become a structural feature of governance in a growing number of states.
The most notable shift in the 2025 results is the United States’ score of 64 points, its lowest since the adoption of the current CPI methodology in 2012.
According to the report, this decline does not reflect a lack of legislation, but rather weaknesses in enforcement and political accountability, amid sharp polarization and reluctance to pursue corruption cases involving senior officials—sending negative signals both domestically and internationally.
The trend is not confined to Washington. The United Kingdom and France continued to slide, while New Zealand lost the high-ranking position it had maintained for many years. Germany’s performance remained relatively stable, but without any meaningful improvement.
Transparency International also notes that the number of countries scoring above 80 points has shrunk to just five, down from 12 a decade ago—a clear sign of the gradual erosion of integrity standards even within democratic systems.
“The problem is no longer technical; it is fundamentally political,” says Arkan El-Seblani, Senior Adviser on Anti-Corruption and Integrity at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for Arab States, in an interview with Alhurra.
“The drop in the global average to 42 points does not reflect a lack of knowledge or tools, but rather the absence of genuine political will. Many countries have the laws but lack the courage to enforce them when accountability reaches centers of power.”
El-Seblani adds that although the Corruption Perceptions Index measures perceptions, it accurately captures the sentiment of economic elites and experts regarding government performance. “When accountability weakens, the judiciary is undermined, and the media is constrained, this is directly reflected in CPI assessments.”
In the Arab region, the results are not entirely surprising. According to El-Seblani, countries such as Morocco, Iraq, and Jordan recorded slight improvements, while some Gulf states saw limited declines, and most countries remained largely unchanged.
“This indicates that efforts are being made, but they remain constrained by a low political ceiling that does not allow for a real breakthrough in governance structures or in the relationship between power and accountability,” he says.
El-Seblani cautions against relying on cosmetic reforms, noting that “the index does not measure legal texts as much as it measures how power and public funds are actually managed.”
One of the notable findings in 2025 is the modest decline in scores among several Gulf countries. Despite their financial and institutional resources, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar all recorded slight decreases compared to the previous year.
El-Seblani comments on this paradox by saying: “Wealth does not automatically immunize countries against corruption. There are wealthy countries with high corruption, and lower-income countries that have managed to contain it relatively well. The issue is not wealth, but governance, transparency, and institutional independence.”
Some Gulf states have established specialized anti-corruption bodies. “This is an important development,” El-Seblani says, “but it is not sufficient unless accompanied by broader accountability mechanisms and greater freedom of access to information.”
In Arab countries affected by conflict or prolonged crises, the index reflects very low levels of integrity. However, El-Seblani warns against superficial interpretations of these results. “Corruption in unstable states is not merely a consequence of war—it is also one of the reasons wars persist. Corruption produces poverty, poverty creates fragility, and fragility reproduces corruption.”
He emphasizes that these countries often fall into a vicious cycle: “Instability fuels corruption, and corruption in turn undermines any opportunity to build a state or effective institutions.”
At the same time, El-Seblani rejects the notion that Arab societies are inherently condemned to corruption due to political or economic realities. “Corruption is not an inevitable fate—not for the poor, and not for victims of war. As the UN Secretary-General has said, ‘corruption is a choice, and it can be changed.’”
He acknowledges positive developments in several Arab countries over the past decade, including the establishment of national anti-corruption authorities, the adoption of national strategies and action plans, advances in digitalization in countries such as Morocco, and limited instances of judicial accountability involving senior officials.
However, he adds that “implementing the UN Convention against Corruption is the minimum requirement—not the ceiling of ambition. The problem is that many of these reforms have remained administrative in nature and have not reached the structural political level.”
According to El-Seblani, the core problem across most Arab countries lies in three recurring issues: limited transparency in public finance management, weak independence of the judiciary and oversight bodies, and complex legislation that creates loopholes rather than closing them. “These factors generate opacity that allows corruption to expand, and this is directly reflected in the assessments of experts and business leaders on which the index is based.”
In concluding his remarks, El-Seblani delivers a direct political message to decision-makers in the region: “People across the region aspire to stability and a dignified life. That life cannot be achieved through aid or cosmetic measures alone. There can be no development without integrity, and no integrity without the courage to make difficult decisions.”
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
Randa Jebai
Randa Jebai is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience. She joined Alhurra TV’s investigative team in 2020, earning honors from the AIBs, New York Festivals, and the Telly Awards. She previously worked with major Lebanese outlets and holds master’s degrees in law and journalism.
