Nigeria Ranks 36th Most Corrupt Country in 2024 Transparency International Index

Nigeria has been ranked as the 36th most corrupt country in the world in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International. With a score of 26 out of 100, Nigeria shares this position with Uganda, Mexico, Madagascar, Iraq, and Cameroon.

The CPI, published on Tuesday, February 11, assesses corruption levels in 180 countries and territories on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

Global Rankings

• Denmark topped the list as the least corrupt country, scoring 90 points, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).

• No African nation made the top 10 least corrupt countries, which are mostly European.

• Cape Verde ranked as the least corrupt African country, scoring 62 points to place 35th globally.

• The most corrupt nations in 2024 were South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela, occupying the bottom positions.

Expert Insights

François Valeria, Chair of Transparency International, stated that corruption remains a global challenge but noted that some countries are making progress.

“The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that corruption is a dangerous problem in every part of the world, but change for the better is happening in many countries,” Valeria said.

He also warned that corruption threatens climate action, slowing efforts to cut emissions and adapt to global warming.
Despite some progress, corruption levels have remained stagnant in many parts of the world:

• 32 countries have significantly reduced corruption since 2012.

• However, 148 countries have seen no improvement or worsen over the same period.

• The global average score remains 43, with over two-thirds of countries scoring below 50, leaving billions of people vulnerable to corruption’s damaging effects.