The UK and US have sunk to new lows in a global index of corruption, amid a “worrying trend” of democratic institutions being eroded by political donations, cash for access and state targeting of campaigners and journalists.
Experts and businesspeople rated 182 countries based on their perception of corruption levels in the public sector to compile a league table that was bookended by Denmark at the top with the lowest levels of corruption and South Sudan at the bottom.
The Corruption Perceptions Index, organised by the campaign group Transparency International, identified an overall global deterioration, as 31 countries improved their score, while 50 declined.
In particular, the report identified backsliding in established democracies, warning that events during Donald Trump’s presidency and the revelations contained in the Epstein files could fuel further deterioration.
Britain has been gradually slipping down the rankings since 2015, falling from the seventh-placed country to 20th in 2025, with a score of 70 out of 100, down from 71 in last year’s report.
Explaining the slight decline, Transparency International highlighted concerns linked to the two major political parties that contested the 2024 general election.
It said record spending on election campaigning had “supercharged” a reliance on wealthy backers, with the Conservatives accepting £15m from a single donor in less than 12 months.
This is understood to be a reference to contributions from the businessman Frank Hester, which prompted calls for the Tories to give the money back after the Guardian revealed that the party’s largest donor had made racist and sexist remarks.
It also pointed to reports the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, had considered making a $100m (£73m) donation to Reform UK.
Labour also came under the spotlight, after it emerged that its largest donor, Waheed Alli, had received a privileged pass to No 10. The report also highlighted criticism of political appointments for party donors.
