Saturday, 15 March 2025
Slovakia has dropped 12 places in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), ranking 59th globally with a score of 49 out of 100, according to Transparency International (TI). This marks a significant decline from 2023, when Slovakia achieved its best historical ranking at 47th place with a score of 54 points.
Denmark, Finland, Singapore, and New Zealand topped the rankings as the world’s least corrupt countries. Meanwhile, crisis-stricken nations such as Syria, Venezuela, and Somalia occupied the lowest positions, with South Sudan scoring the worst globally. The CPI, compiled annually by TI, evaluates corruption levels based on 13 independent institutional indices over the past two years.
Impact of Political Changes on Slovakia’s Decline
TI attributes Slovakia’s sharp decline to legislative changes introduced under Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government, which have weakened anti-corruption measures and reduced public oversight. Key concerns include the dissolution of the Special Prosecutor’s Office and the National Crime Agency, both of which were instrumental in tackling corruption and serious crime.
Slovakia’s ranking now places it below Austria, the Czech Republic, and Poland, but above Hungary and Ukraine. Across the European Union, the average CPI score fell by two points to 62, reflecting growing concerns over corruption and weakening institutional oversight across the bloc.
Global Trends in Corruption
According to Transparency International, more than two-thirds of countries scored below 50 points, signaling persistently high levels of corruption worldwide. The organization warns that global anti-corruption efforts are weakening, limiting the ability of nations to tackle pressing issues such as the climate crisis, governance failures, and institutional inefficiencies.
Despite ongoing efforts in some regions, the CPI results highlight a concerning global trend, with many governments failing to implement effective anti-corruption strategies. In Slovakia, the recent political shift has led to fears of further regression in transparency and accountability, raising alarms among civil society and watchdog organizations.
Source: Transparency International and TASR
