International report: Iraq occupies a new position in the corruption index
International report: Iraq occupies a new position in the corruption index
2026-02-10
Shafaq News – Follow-up
Iraq climbed to 136th place globally in the 2025 list of the world’s most transparent countries out of 182 countries, while it ranked eighth among Arab countries in the list of the most corrupt countries, according to a report by Transparency International.
The organization stated in a report issued on Tuesday, which was reviewed by Shafaq News Agency, that “the global system is under pressure as a result of competition between major powers and dangerous disregard for international standards, while armed conflicts and the climate crisis are leaving devastating effects, and societies are witnessing increasing polarization.”
The report added that “meeting these challenges requires principled leaders and strong, independent institutions that operate with integrity to protect the public interest, but reality often shows a failure in good governance and leadership.”
He noted that “leaders in many places are using security, economic or geopolitical issues as justifications for concentrating power, marginalizing checks and balances, and backtracking on commitments to international standards, including anti-corruption measures, and treating transparency, independent oversight and accountability as optional.”
The organization explained that “the Corruption Perceptions Index ranks 182 countries and territories around the world according to levels of corruption in the public sector, and the results are given on a scale from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).”
According to the report, Iraq ranked 136th globally with 28 points, two points higher than in 2024, while it came in eighth place among the most corrupt Arab countries, after Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Eritrea and Lebanon.
At the level of the least corrupt countries, Denmark came in first place globally with 89 points, followed by Finland in second place with 88 points, then Singapore in third place with 84 points, New Zealand in fourth place with 81 points, Norway in fifth place with 81 points, and Sweden in sixth place with 80 points.
In the Arab world, the UAE topped the list and came in 69th place globally, followed by Qatar in second place with 58 points, then Saudi Arabia in third place with 57 points, Oman in fourth place with 52 points, and Bahrain in fifth place with 50 points.
At the bottom of the list globally, South Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela, Yemen and Libya were identified as the most corrupt countries, according to the report.
The organization publishes its annual report on corruption based on a scale of zero to 100 that ranks countries from most to least corrupt, relying on data collected from 13 international bodies, including the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.
shafaq.com
