Afghanistan Drops To 165th Place in Global Corruption Rankings

Afghanistan has fallen to 165th place out of 180 countries in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, according to a report by Transparency International.

The annual index, which assesses public sector corruption worldwide, ranks Denmark, Finland, and Singapore as the least corrupt nations, securing the top three positions with the highest scores.

Transparency International stated that corruption levels worldwide remain alarmingly high, with efforts to combat the issue largely failing.

In 2024, Afghanistan scored 17, placing it at rank 165—a three-place decline from the previous year, once again positioning the country among the most corrupt nations globally.

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024 was released on Tuesday, with South Sudan ranking at the bottom of the list, scoring just 8 points.

The Corruption Perceptions Index scores countries on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). In 2023, Afghanistan had a score of 20, ranking 162nd. In 2022, the country scored 24, placing 150th.

Among Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries, the rankings for 2024 are as follows. Pakistan ranks 140th, with a score of 27. Iran ranks 147th, with a score of 25.

The continued decline in Afghanistan’s ranking reflects ongoing governance challenges and lack of anti-corruption measures, raising concerns about transparency and accountability under the Taliban administration.