Transparency International

The World Cup kicks off today with millions of people following the competition. Yet there's something else we share, whether we chose it or not: the cost of corruption.

Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It erodes trust, weakens democracy, and fuels social division.

Our 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that 122 out of 180 countries – more than two-thirds – score below 50 on corruption.

Behind that number are millions of people living with the consequences every day. It's the school that was never built. The hospital that never opened. The road that was never paved.

But corruption is not inevitable. Not when people demand accountability.

To end corruption we must first understand it. That’s why we look at what causes corruption and what works against it.

At Transparency International, we have pioneered tools and methodologies to measure corruption as a vital first step to exposing and ultimately reducing it.

Our research team produces rigorous and independent assessments of corruption around the world. ➡️ Two examples of these tools are: 1️⃣ the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, according to experts and business people. 2️⃣ the Global Corruption Barometer (GCB), which complements the CPI by surveying ordinary citizens worldwide.

Throughout the years, we have been researching many different topics where corruption plays a key role: elections, money laundering, the climate crisis, gender, LGBTQ+, health or whistleblowing are some of those topics.

Our evidence collection supports our advocacy goals, emphasising political integrity and illicit money schemes, our global priorities. It helps us push for change at a global and international level.

In July 2025, the International Court of Justice made history. It ruled that countries have legal obligations to act on climate change. The case was brought by Vanuatu, a small Pacific Island nation, and backed by over 130 states.

Pacific Island communities contribute almost nothing to global emissions. Yet they are living on the frontlines of the crisis.

Nearly one year after that ruling, the gap between words and action is stark. Governments pledged US$750 million to address climate damages. Less than US$190 million has actually been delivered.

COP31 is the next opportunity to change that. On this , we are calling on the COP31 Presidency to strengthen transparency and accountability standards.

These communities have already done the hard work – legally and morally – to hold the world accountable. The obligation now falls on governments to act.

Like, share, or comment to show your support. 💙

As conflict, instability and humanitarian needs intensify in Palestine and across the wider Middle East and North Africa, illicit financial flows quietly drain resources from the people who need them most.

In our latest blog, the Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN), our chapter in Palestine, explains how corruption continues to thrive across the region and why weak enforcement, limited data and political interference allow illicit funds to slip through the cracks

Palestine's illicit financial flows: how corruption survives crisis -… New analysis by Transparency International explores how corruption and dirty money fuels instability across Palestine and the Middle East and North…

Attacks on independent prosecutors and judges have damaged Guatemala's justice system and stalled the fight against corruption.

The appointment of a new attorney general is an opportunity to restore confidence in the rule of law and rebuild trust in democratic institutions after years of corruption and political persecution.

Transparency International and Accionciudadana, our chapter in Guatemala, will continue to follow developments closely and support efforts to strengthen the fight against impunity.

🔴 The Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 revealed that over the past decade, most countries have made little to no progress in tackling public sector corruption.

The global order faces strain from major-power rivalry, armed conflicts, and the climate crisis. To address these challenges, we need principled leaders and strong institutions to act with integrity to protect the public interest.

🔗 See the full analysis here: https://anticorru.pt/3i1

Remember this:
Fighting corruption means fighting climate change.

One in five people in Sub-Saharan Africa face corruption when interacting with public services, including those relating to land.

Land corruption occurs when entrusted power is abused for private gain in the administration and management of land.

The impacts of this are often felt most strongly by communities already facing unfair barriers – including those without land titles, and women or youth in rural areas.

For more than a decade, Transparency International has worked to support communities affected by land corruption through the Land and Corruption in Africa project.

In our latest blog, we explore the impact of this work in four countries – Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Uganda – where people have been supported to better understand their rights and seek justice and redress.

200 million people depend on Pakistan's glaciers for water. For years, those glaciers were being cut apart and sold in local markets. In July 2024, Transparency International Pakistan (TI-P) filed a formal complaint to protect them. This is one of the 100 cases of climate corruption we have mapped worldwide. Is your country on the map? 👇 Find out in the first comment