Transparency International warns: the Corruption Perceptions Index should not be used to mask democratic decline

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) servesas a global benchmark for assessing perceptionsof corruptionin the public sector. However,no single measure can fully capture the complexityof corruptionor the nuancesof governance quality. Dueto its limited scope, issues like democratic backsliding and restrictionson civil liberties are not accounted forin the scores. Despite this, some governments have leveraged their CPI rankings- or even stagnant scores- to presenta misleading imageof their governance.

Effectively curbing corruption requires governmentsto acton multiple fronts, including building strong, independent institutions and checks and balances mechanisms; ensuring transparency and open governance; enforcing robust legal frameworksto uphold the ruleof law; and empowering civil society anda free pressto expose and challenge corruption. Integrityin both public and private sectors, underpinnedby ethical standards and transparent processes,is essential, alongside public participation. Withouta comprehensive and sustained response, effortsto address corruption may falter over time.

Although the CPI does not assess all pillars of anti-corruption efforts, some governments have misused the results to create a distorted narrative. In Georgia, for example, the government has failed to improve its CPI score since 2012 but continues to tout the country's performance to obscure serious attacks on democratic processes, rule of law and civil liberties.

Transparency International's previous CPI analyses highlighted state capture and the rise of kleptocratic practices as key corruption-related challenges in the country, and according to international assessments, over the past five years, Georgia has faced notable setbacks in freedom of association and assembly as well as freedom of expression. These challenges are driven by the harsh suppression of anti-government demonstrations, mounting restrictions on civil society, and an increasingly adversarial climate for the media. Our own chapter has not been immune from this expanding repression, with a member of our chapter in Georgia recently being attacked by people linked to the ruling Georgian Dream party. We have alerted before that restricting freedoms of expression, association and assembly is a popular tactic to weaken societal checks on corruption, reducing the chances of being denounced for engaging in corruption and facing consequences.

No existing index or corruption measure fully captures all aspects of corruption, particularly state capture. This highlights the need for further discussions and additional resources to develop additional assessment tools.

François Valerian, Chairof Transparency International, said:

"We condemn the misuseof the Corruption Perceptions Indexto disguise poor governance, especially whenit masks the dismantlingof democratic institutions and attackson activists. The erosionof civil liberties and checks and balances mechanisms, alongside attackson press freedom, often goes handin hand with covert formsof corruption like grand corruption and state capture. Those truly committedto fighting corruption should have nothingto hide- transparency, strong institutions, andan empowered civil society are essential,or efforts will fall short."

NOTETO EDITORS

Transparency International will launch the2024 CPI on Tuesday, 11 February2025.

See also:

• The Corruption Perceptions Index Explained (video) here

• The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated (CPI FAQs) here.

• The 2024 CPI media advisory here

Countries

• Georgia