Pakistan’s ranking in Transparency International’s (TI) latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has dropped by two spots, placing it at 135th among 180 countries in 2024, compared to 133rd in 2023. The Berlin-based corruption watchdog released the report on Tuesday, revealing a decline in Pakistan’s score from 29/100 in 2023 to 27/100 in 2024.
Justice Zia Perwez (retired), Chair of Transparency International Pakistan, highlighted the decline in a press release, stating, “In CPI 2024, the score of all countries in the region except Oman, China, Turkey, and Mongolia has reduced. Pakistan’s score and rank have both dropped by 2 points, with its score falling from 29 to 27 and its rank slipping from 133 to 135 out of 180 countries.” He added that the overall regional trend shows a decline, with Pakistan being one of the countries struggling to hold its position.
The report also shed light on Pakistan’s governance challenges, particularly in addressing climate vulnerabilities. It noted that despite facing unprecedented climate challenges in recent years, systemic governance gaps and delays in implementing regulations under the Climate Change Act of 2017 have hindered progress. Pakistan’s climate finance remains far below the projected$348 billion needed by 2030.
The Corruption Perception Index ranks countries based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, using a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). According to TI, global corruption levels remain alarmingly high, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50. The global average score has stagnated at 43, underscoring the urgent need for action against corruption, which remains a significant obstacle to effective climate action.
The report also highlighted global trends, noting that Denmark retained its position as the least corrupt country with a score of 90, followed by Finland and Singapore with scores of 88 and 84, respectively. On the other hand, South Sudan ranked as the most corrupt country with a score of 8, followed by Somalia and Venezuela with scores of 9 and 10, respectively.
Transparency International emphasized that corruption continues to undermine global efforts to combat climate change, warning that the erosion of democracy and weak climate leadership are exacerbating the crisis. The report called for urgent global action to address corruption and its impact on critical issues like climate governance.
