If we look at the results of the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International on 10 February, the answer is Singapore. The city-state recorded a score of 84 out of 100, placing it third among the cleanest countries in the world and the highest-ranked in the Asia-Pacific region. This is not a one-off achievement, Singapore held a similar position in 2024.
The CPI uses a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates a highly corrupt country and 100 a very clean one. The index measures perceptions of public-sector corruption based on assessments by experts and business executives, compiling data from multiple sources such as Varieties of Democracy and the Rule of Law Index. In 2025, a total of 182 countries and territories were assessed in the global report.
Globally, Denmark once again ranked first with a score of 89, marking its eighth consecutive year at the top. It was followed by Finland (88). After Singapore (84), the next positions were held by New Zealand (81), Norway (81), and Sweden (80).
The ASEAN Map: A Wide Gap in Scores
Within Southeast Asia, the disparity in scores is striking. After Singapore (84), Brunei ranks next with a score of 63, placing 31st globally. Malaysia comes third in ASEAN with a score of 52, ranking 54th worldwide. This represents a two-point increase compared to 2023 and 2024.
Timor-Leste recorded a score of 44 (73rd globally), indicating a trend toward improved institutional transparency. Below it is Vietnam with a score of 41.
The next group shows lower scores that are relatively stagnant or declining, including Indonesia (34), Thailand (33–34), Laos (34), and the Philippines (33).
Thailand ranks 116th out of 182 countries, down one position from 2024. Transparency International’s analysis notes that Thailand’s decline is most evident in indicators based on investor and private-sector perceptions. One of these indicators comes from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). However, some improvements were observed in the political and legal structure dimensions.
Indonesia recorded a score of 34 in 2025, down from 37 in 2024. Transparency International Indonesia explained that the previous year’s score change was influenced by the addition of new data sources, rather than by a significant improvement in anti-corruption efforts.
In 2025, the number of data sources used remained at nine, the same as in the previous year. Indonesia ranks 109th globally, sharing the same score as Laos, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Nepal.
At the bottom of the regional ranking, Cambodia and Myanmar continue to face deep structural and political challenges that weigh heavily on their CPI scores.
Global Context: A Worrying Trend
Globally, the average CPI score in 2025 declined from 43 to 42. Only five countries scored above 80, compared with 12 countries a decade ago. More than two-thirds of countries recorded scores below 50.
Several democratic countries also experienced declining scores, including the United States (64), the United Kingdom (70), and France (66). The United States posted its lowest score since joining the index, falling from 69 in 2023 and 65 in 2024.
In the Asia-Pacific region, the average score increased by one point to 45, although disparities between countries remain wide.
Major Cities and Governance Challenges
The report also highlights the contrast between Singapore’s city-state model and other large metropolitan areas in Southeast Asia. Singapore continues to maintain efficient, digitally driven public governance.
By contrast, cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Ho Chi Minh City face additional complexities stemming from rapid urbanization, infrastructure expansion, and multiple layers of bureaucracy—factors that increase corruption risks, particularly in public procurement and licensing.
CPI 2025 data show that in Southeast Asia, the gap between the highest- and lowest-scoring countries exceeds 50 points. Singapore sits at the upper end with a score of 84, while several other countries remain stuck in the low-30 range.
