Czechia's corruption score rises, but experts warn of 'extreme' times ahead

Czechia has seen its best performance in years on the global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), moving up seven spots in the annual rankings.

According to the 2025 report released by Transparency International on Tuesday, the country now sits in 39th place globally, a significant jump from 46th the previous year.

The improvement is reflected in a total score of 59 points out of 100, marking a three-point increase since 2024. While the progress is a positive signal for Czech officials and businesses, the country remains slightly below the European Union average score of 62 points.

The ranking places Czechia ahead of its regional peers in the Visegrád Four, highlighting a growing transparency gap in Central Europe. Slovakia, by contrast, continued its downward trend, falling from 59th to 61st place with a score of 48 points.

The situation is even more stark in Poland and Hungary. Poland finished in 52nd place with 53 points, while Hungary continues to anchor the bottom of the European rankings. Scoring just 40 points, Hungary now shares the title of the EU’s most corrupt-perceived nation with Bulgaria.

Despite the modest gain, Transparency International (TI) Czech Republic warned that the country’s overall trajectory remains troubling, pointing to what it called a “lack of moral principles” and a drift toward an increasingly “extreme” political climate.

While the rise to 46th place reflects some legislative progress, the Czech Republic’s score remains below the EU average of 62. TI said the improvement was driven largely by last-minute measures adopted by the previous government to avert EU sanctions, rather than by a sustained commitment to transparency.

The report then turns to the outlook under the newly formed coalition of ANO, SPD, and the Motorists, led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, warning that “extreme times” lie ahead and that meaningful anti-corruption reforms may stall entirely.

TI’s international secretariat in Berlin highlighted Babiš’s ongoing conflict of interest as a central risk. TI analyst Kotora said mounting pressure on the civil service, public media, and non-governmental organizations could further test the resilience of the public sector and democratic institutions.

On the global stage, Denmark maintained its position as the world's least corrupt country with 89 points, followed closely by Finland and Singapore.

At the opposite end of the scale, Somalia and South Sudan were ranked as having the highest levels of perceived corruption, both scoring just nine points.

The U.S. saw a slight decline, falling to 29th place. Other notable rankings included China at 76th, Ukraine at 104th, and Russia, which remains near the bottom of the list in 157th place.