Another year of little to no meaningful progress towards curbing corruption
Berlin, 30 January 2024 – The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released today by Transparency International shows the lack of delivery on anti-corruption agendas in the Asia Pacific region, with levels of corruption stagnating for a fifth straight year.
As the region gears up for 2024 elections in India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Solomon Islands and South Korea, the CPI paints a stark picture. Few countries show real progress, and some historical leaders are slowly sliding. The upcoming elections could be an opportunity to address and reverse the ongoing struggle against corruption and emphasise the urgent need for tangible change.
Ilham Mohamed, Asia Regional Advisor of Transparency International said:
“Crackdowns on civil society and attacks on fundamental freedoms of press, assembly, and association, remain significant challenges ahead of this year’s elections across the region. Extensive corruption during elections undermines the ability to form trustworthy governments that can effectively manage and reduce corruption, perpetuating a damaging cycle.”
ASIA PACIFIC HIGHLIGHTS
The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
Sixty-eight per cent of the countries across Asia and the Pacific have a CPI score below 50.
For five years in a row, the average CPI score for the region stagnates at 45.
New Zealand (CPI score: 85) and Singapore (83) maintain positions at the top of the index globally, followed closely by Australia (75), Hong Kong (75), Japan (73), Bhutan (68), Taiwan (67) and South Korea (63).
The bottom of the index includes North Korea (17), Myanmar (20) and Afghanistan (20).
For each country’s individual score and changes over time, see the global 2023 CPI page. For in-depth analysis on tr
