Spain Falls to Historic Low in 2025 Transparency International Corruption Index

Spain experienced a notable decline in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published by Transparency International, falling to its lowest score of the century. The country scored 55 out of 100, which dropped its global ranking to 49th out of 182-183 countries, depending on the source, placing it alongside Cyprus and Fiji. Spain's position within the European Union also slipped from 16th to 17th among 27 member states, now trailing behind Portugal and Slovenia, which scored higher.

The report underlines a worrying stagnation and even deterioration in anti-corruption efforts across Europe. Transparency International highlights that Spain’s decline is part of a broader global trend of weakened anti-corruption mechanisms, which is raising alarms even in mature democracies. The global average CPI score fell to 42 points—the lowest in over a decade—with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50, indicating widespread perceptions of corruption in the public sector.

This decline is attributed to the absence of political consensus and sustained institutional commitment necessary for effective reforms, as emphasized during the report’s presentation at Fundación Ortega y Gasset in Madrid. The global landscape is negatively influenced by a reduction in international leadership, notably from the United States, which has weakened pressure for meaningful anti-corruption reforms worldwide.

Transparency International's president, François Valérian, stressed that corruption is not inevitable and called for strengthened independent oversight, protected civil society, and protection for whistleblowers. However, he warned that political polarization, attacks on journalists, and persecution of whistleblowers are undermining anti-corruption efforts across many nations. The report also contrasts countries like Denmark, which ranks lowest in perceived corruption for the eighth year running with 89 points, with nations suffering from severe repression such as South Sudan and Somalia scoring only 9 points.

In summary, Spain’s drop in the CPI reflects both internal challenges of political fragmentation and a wider global and European decline in anti-corruption effectiveness, signaling an urgent need for renewed efforts to strengthen transparency and accountability mechanisms.