Singapore maintains top spot as least corrupt country in Asia-Pacific, ranks third globally

Singapore has retained its position as the least corrupt country within the Asia-Pacific region and the third least corrupt country globally, according to the 2025 edition of Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (TI-CPI). 

The index was released on Tuesday (Feb 10) and ranked a total of 182 countries based on a numerical score from 0 to 100, with higher scores representing lower perceived levels of corruption in the public sector. 

Singapore maintained a score of 84, which is the same as last year, coming in behind Denmark and Finland which scored 89 points and 88 points respectively. 

While Singapore scored highly, Transparency International said that Singapore still faces scrutiny for facilitating the movement of "dirty money" across borders. 

According to the index, the global average came in at 42, and 122 countries scored below 50, with only five countries scoring above 80 in 2025. 

In a separate statement on the same day, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said that the corruption situation in Singapore "remains firmly under control" and that the number of public sector corruption cases remains low. 

"The public perception surveys conducted by the CPIB show strong public support and confidence in the country's corruption control efforts," the agency said. 

CPIB said that Singapore's strong performance in the TI-CPI is underpinned by "robust legislations, effective enforcement, and a vigilant society united by a shared commitment to integrity". 

"This zero-tolerance towards corruption and collective determination to do the right thing remain the cornerstone of Singapore's enduring reputation as a clean and corrupt-free nation," it added. 

Singapore also ranked well in two other international reports, according to CPIB. 

In the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2025, Singapore ranked second for absence of corruption, and was the top Asian nation out of 143 countries. 

Similarly, Singapore received the best score out of 16 economies in Asia, the US and Australia in the 2025 Report on Corruption by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy. 

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dana.leong@asiaone.com