U.S. Corruption Perceptions Index Hits Historic Low

On February 10, 2026, Transparency International released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), revealing that the United States has slipped to its lowest-ever ranking since the current methodology was adopted in 2012. The U.S. now sits at 29th place globally, tied with the Bahamas and falling below countries like Lithuania, Barbados, and Uruguay.

The report highlights a “sobering” trend of democratic backsliding, noting that the world’s most powerful democracy continues to see its institutions and public trust eroded by political and systemic issues.

Key Data Points: The U.S. Decline

The Index measures perceived public sector corruption on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

• 2025 Score: The U.S. scored 64 out of 100, a significant drop from its 2017 high of 75.
• Global Ranking: 29th (down from 28th in 2024 and 19th in 2012).
• Comparison to Peers: The U.S. trails established Western democracies such as New Zealand (81), Canada (75), the United Kingdom (70), and France (66).

Factors Driving the Drop

Transparency International and analysts at CNN have pointed to several specific actions and trends contributing to this record-low performance:

• Enforcement Cutbacks: The U.S. government’s decision to temporarily freeze and then reduce resources for the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)—the primary law barring corporate bribery of foreign officials—sent what the report called a “dangerous signal” to global markets.
• Judicial and Prosecutorial Concerns: The report cited the “politicization of prosecutorial decision-making” and actions perceived to undermine the independence of the judiciary as major drivers of the decline.
• Epstein File Fallout: The recent unsealing of more than 3 million pages of Jeffrey Epstein files (released in early 2025) has shaken public confidence, exposing “conflicted and transactional politics” among business and political elites.
• Democratic Erosion: The use of public office to “target and restrict independent voices,” including NGOs and journalists, was flagged as a “worrying trend” consistent with democratic backsliding.

Global Standing: Top vs. Bottom (2025 CPI)