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2024 Corruption Perceptions Index: Western Europe sees declining score at a critical time

Berlin, 11 February 2025 – Western Europe’s ability to combat corruption is falling dangerously short, hindering the bloc’s ability to protect rule of law, invest in strained public services and fight the climate crisis, according to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released today by Transparency International. The regional average has declined for the second year running to 64 out of 100.

Recent climate-induced catastrophes have served as a stark reminder that Europe is not immune from the devastating consequences of climate change. While many Western European countries are key contributors to climate finance, this year’s CPI has highlighted the weaknesses in integrity frameworks in the region, which enable undue influence on climate action from corporate lobbyists.

Of the 31 countries assessed, only six improved their scores, while 19 declined. Major economies like Germany (75) and France (67) are declining, and even traditionally strong Nordic countries such as Norway (81) and Sweden (80) have recorded their lowest ever scores.

Flora Cresswell, Western Europe Regional Advisor of Transparency International said:

"At a time when trust in public decision-makers and stronger anti-corruption measures are more necessary than ever, Europe’s average CPI score has dropped for the second consecutive year. Integrity loopholes and weaknesses in public contracting remain persistent issues, undermining the region’s ability to tackle global challenges like the climate crisis. This year, the EU has an opportunity to take decisive action by standardising anti-corruption regulations across the bloc to reverse this decline."

WESTERN EUROPE AND EU HIGHLIGHTS

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

  • The highest-scoring countries in the region are Denmark (90), Finland (88) and Luxembourg (81)
  • Romania (46), Bulgaria (43) and Hungary (41) have the lowest scores.

CORRUPTION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE BIG PICTURE

  • Systemic weaknesses in the climate sector reflect the need for stronger integrity measures to prevent policy capture by the fossil fuel industry, which remains an urgent priority as the region fights for climate resilience. This was made explicitly clear by oil giants scaling back CO2 emission targets in Europe, with a network of 50 organisations leveraging €64 million to amplify their lobbying on the EU Green Deal. For example, corporate lobbyists played a key role in shaping the 2021 climate law in France (67), influencing its final provisions.
  • Roll backs and weak enforcement are an ongoing problem, with some governments undermining or politicising anti-corruption frameworks and allowing erosion of the rule of law. Weakening of anti-corruption oversight and public participation have sparked a decline in Slovakia (49), whilst last year the abuse of office by public officials was decriminalised in Italy (54).
  • Public contracting remains a persistent weak spot as gaps in legal frameworks, poor enforcement and resource scarcity hold EU countries back. High-level officials in Malta (46) abused their power to benefit private interests, putting public health at risk, while in Croatia (47), they circumvented the rules to award billions in healthcare funds to privileged businesses.

Maíra Martini, Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International said:

“Urgent action is needed worldwide to root out corruption that undermines climate action through theft, misuse of funds, and undue influence. Governments and multilateral organisations must embed anti-corruption measures in climate efforts to protect funding and rebuild trust. Only by tackling corruption head-on can we unlock the full power of climate action and accelerate the fight for our planet’s future.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

The media page includes the CPI 2024 report, as well as the full dataset and methodology, international press release and additional analysis for Western Europe and EU in English and French. See here: CPI Media Page.

INTERVIEW REQUESTS

In case of country-specific queries, please contact Transparency International’s national chapters. In case of queries about regional and global findings, please contact the Transparency International Secretariat at [email protected] or [email protected].

ABOUT THE CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX

Since its inception in 1995, the Corruption Perceptions Index has become the leading global indicator of public sector corruption. The index scores 180 countries and territories around the world based on perceptions of public sector corruption, using data from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and consulting companies, think tanks and others. The scores reflect the views of experts and business people.

The process for calculating the CPI is regularly reviewed to make sure it is as robust and coherent as possible, most recently by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in 2017. All the CPI scores since 2012 are comparable from one year to the next. For more information, see this article: The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated.