Pakistan Drops to 135th Spot on Corruption Perception Index 2024

Islamabad: Pakistan’s ranking on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2024 has dropped by two positions, falling from 133 in 2023 to 135 out of 180 countries, according to a report released by Transparency International on Tuesday.

The CPI assesses 180 nations and territories based on perceived public sector corruption, using a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The annual index is compiled and published by Transparency International Berlin, with Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) clarifying that it has no role in data collection or score calculations.

Pakistan’s score also declined, dropping from 29 in CPI 2023 to 27 in CPI 2024. According to a Transparency International document, which lists the country’s CPI rankings and scores from 1996 to 2024, Pakistan’s score over the past decade has fluctuated between 27 and 33 points, with higher scores indicating lower levels of corruption.

Since 2012, when the CPI scoring system transitioned from a scale of 10 to 100, Pakistan’s score initially improved from 27 to 33 in 2018. However, it has since experienced a downward trend, returning to 27 last year.

Historical data reveals that in 1996, Pakistan ranked second-lowest among 54 countries included in the index at the time, with a score of 1/10. Between 1997 and 2011, the country’s score fluctuated, peaking at 2.7 in 1998 and declining to as low as 2.1 in 2004 and 2005.

The latest decline in Pakistan’s ranking underscores persistent concerns about corruption in the country, which continues to struggle with transparency and governance challenges on a global scale.