Transparency International’s newest Corruption Perceptions Index paints a troubling picture. The global average score for public-sector corruption just hit its lowest point in more than a decade, signaling widespread backsliding in transparency and accountability. Many countries saw their anti-corruption efforts stall or reverse – including nations long seen as stable democracies. Mexico is no exception: its performance on the index remains near rock-bottom and essentially unchanged despite a modest uptick. What do these numbers mean for Mexico’s fight against graft, and how does the country stack up as others around the world grapple with rising corruption risks?
Mexico’s Corruption Score Stagnant
Mexico continues to struggle with entrenched corruption, according to Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index. In the latest results, Mexico scored just 27 points out of 100 on the index. On this scale, 0 signifies “highly corrupt,” and 100 is “very clean.” This is only a one-point improvement from the previous year’s score and leaves Mexico’s performance effectively stagnant. The slight gain wasn’t enough to improve its standing. In fact, Mexico slipped one place in the global ranking to 141st out of 182 countries evaluated. This dismal ranking puts Mexico near the bottom worldwide and underscores a persistent “failing grade” in combating public-sector graft. The country remains the lowest-ranked member of the OECD, reflecting how far its integrity standards lag behind its peers.
Every day life in Mexico continues to be affected by pervasive corruption. It ranges from petty bribery in public services to high-profile scandals that go unpunished. Transparency International’s local chapter has pointed to several reasons for Mexico’s ongoing stagnation. These include weak enforcement of anti-corruption laws, impunity in major graft cases, and links between officials and organized crime. Despite repeated promises by national leaders to root out corruption, the latest index suggests meaningful improvement has yet to materialize.
Corruption Worsens Worldwide
The new Corruption Perceptions Index reveals that the corruption problem is worsening globally. For the first time in over ten years, the average score across all countries has fallen to just 42 out of 100. This is a clear warning sign that most nations are failing to rein in public-sector corruption. More than two-thirds of the 182 countries evaluated scored below 50 points, indicating that serious corruption issues are the norm rather than the exception.
Only five countries scored above 80 points, with Denmark again the cleanest at around 89. By contrast, the worst-performing nations – places like South Sudan or Somalia – managed only single-digit scores.
Even strong democracies are not immune. The United States, for instance, fell to 64 points – its lowest score on record. Other Western countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and France have also seen declines in recent years.
As Transparency International notes, a lack of accountable leadership and the weakening of institutions have set back anti-corruption efforts in many regions. The organization urges governments to bolster independent judiciaries and protect whistleblowers. It also calls for strengthening press freedom and choking off illicit financial flows to help reverse this erosion of integrity.
With information from Transparency International, El Financiero, Mexico News Daily, Baker McKenzie (InsightPlus)
