Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus ranked 49th among 182 countries and territories in Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index for 2025, down three places from 2024. The country scored 55 points, compared with 56 the previous year.
Cyprus score and index methodology
The index, made public on Tuesday, ranks countries and territories by perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale from zero, described as highly corrupt, to 100, described as very clean.
Regional findings cited by Transparency International
Transparency International said its 2025 index showed weak institutions and democratic backsliding across eastern Europe and central Asia were driving corruption and shrinking civic space. The organisation said the region scored 34 out of 100, with six of 19 countries significantly worsening and seven improving, which it said reflected a decade of stalled reforms and weak institutions.
Statements from Transparency International leadership
Transparency International CEO Maíra Martini said, “at a time of climate crisis, instability and polarisation, the world needs accountable leaders and independent institutions to protect the public interest more than ever – yet, too often, they are falling short.”
Martini added: “We’re calling on governments and leaders to act with integrity and live up to their responsibilities to provide a better future for their citizens.”
Transparency International regional advisor for eastern and southeast Europe Lidija Prokic said, “corruption in eastern Europe and central Asia is not inevitable; it thrives where democracy is weakened and accountability fails.”
Prokic added: “Governments must urgently strengthen judicial independence, protect civic space, and ensure transparency in public institutions, or risk leaving citizens vulnerable against entrenched abuse of power.”
Western Balkans concerns and examples
Transparency International said concentration of power, undue influence on the judiciary, and pressure on civil society were driving democratic backsliding by weakening checks and balances and reducing public oversight. It said opacity in decisions on high-value investment projects was a common weakness across the western Balkans, and that suspended transparency rules and unchecked discretionary powers were putting public funds at risk of corruption while eroding public trust.
The organisation cited a lack of competitive procedures that it said had led to uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources in Bosnia and Herzegovina (34), risk of environmental degradation in the case of Sazan island in Albania (39), and actions by the government of Serbia (33), including signing a secret deal with a foreign investor and illegally canceling cultural monument protection to replace it with a luxury hotel.
Judicial pressures in Serbia
Transparency International said weak judicial response was a major obstacle to combating corruption in several western Balkans countries, and that judges and prosecutors were increasingly targets of government attacks. It said that after probing alleged abuses by cabinet members, Serbia’s prosecution for organised crime (33) was facing mounting pressure, including government-led smear campaigns, obstruction of police cooperation, and legal changes that weaken its ability to investigate organised crime and high-level corruption.
What do you think Cyprus’s latest ranking suggests about perceptions of public sector integrity in the country?