Taiwan has achieved its highest-ever ranking in a major global corruption index, climbing to 24th place even as several traditional Western democracies experienced notable declines.
According to Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, Taiwan scored 68 out of 100, up from 67 in 2024. The bump marks Taiwan's first upward movement after stalling at 67 for two consecutive years.
The improved score places Taiwan fourth in East Asia, narrowing the gap with third-place Japan to just three points.
A Global Democratic Backslide
Taiwan's upward trajectory stands in stark contrast to global trends. The 2025 global average dropped to 42 points — the first collective decline in a decade. Transparency International attributed the drop to deep polarization and powerful nations eroding institutional checks under the guise of national security.
Denmark retained the top spot for the eighth consecutive year with 89 points, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).
Several established democracies saw their scores drop, including the United States, which hit a historic low of 64. Other nations experiencing declines included Canada (75), the United Kingdom (70), and France (66).
Regionally, Western Europe and the European Union remain the least corrupt, with an average score of 64, followed by the Asia-Pacific (45) and the Americas (42).
Diplomatic Allies Face Severe Challenges
The report also highlighted entrenched corruption risks among Taiwan's diplomatic allies. Of the 12 nations maintaining formal ties with Taipei, seven were evaluated in the 2025 index.
Four allied nations scored below 30 points, indicating severe corruption vulnerabilities. Eswatini dropped seven points to a score of 23, plummeting 23 places in the global rankings. Honduras, which recently shifted diplomatic recognition from Beijing back to Taipei, scored just 22 points to rank 157th globally.
Transparency International Taiwan warned that these low scores raise concerns about how to structure bilateral cooperation to prevent diplomatic funds from becoming a breeding ground for graft.
Warnings Against Complacency
While celebrating the historic high, Transparency International Taiwan cautioned that the island still has work to do. The organization noted that while Taiwan is widely classified as a "full democracy," its score of 68 falls short of the 71-point average for that category, meaning Taiwan is currently dragging the democratic average down.
The watchdog group emphasized that Taiwan's future progress will rely heavily on safeguarding judicial independence, strengthening institutional checks and balances, and protecting the space for civic discourse. （Related： Reporters Without Borders Condemns Jimmy Lai Sentence, Laments Hong Kong's Declining Press Freedom ｜ Latest ）
