At the same time, the authors of the report note that the country is improving its criminal record check procedure and promoting reforms in line with EU standards, despite strong geopolitical pressure and resistance from influential circles.
Most countries in Southeast Europe (SEE) show declining positions. Slovenia, despite the decline, has the best score in the region in 2025, while Serbia has the lowest.
The index ranks 182 countries and territories in terms of public sector corruption on a scale from zero (high corruption) to 100 (very low corruption). The data are based on information from 13 external sources and reflect the opinions of experts and business representatives.
Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Kosovo, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia and Serbia recorded a decrease in their scores in 2025 compared to the previous year, while Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia showed no change. Bosnia and Herzegovina was the only country in the region where the indicator increased, Transparency International said in its report.
In Western Europe and the EU, Bulgaria and Romania had the lowest scores. Bulgaria with a score of 40 (three points lower than in 2024) ranked 84th in the index, while Romania ranked 70th with 45 points (one point lower than in 2024).
In 2025, the average global corruption perception index fell to 42 out of 100 for the first time in more than a decade. The vast majority of countries are failing in the fight against corruption, with 122 of 182 countries scoring below 50 on the index.
