Denmark has maintained its position as the least corrupt country in the world, while the Philippines slipped from 182nd to 120th in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International.

“For eight consecutive years, Denmark has held the top global ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index, this year with an impressive 89 points,” the Embassy of Denmark in the Philippines said in a social media post.

“In the Philippines, we aim to bring this model and work actively with our international and local partners to amplify efforts to eliminate corruption, improve ease of doing business, and uphold transparency and efficiency in public services—all to create better opportunities and ensure more dignified lives for Filipinos,” the post added.

Following Denmark are Finland and the only Southeast Asian country on the top list, Singapore. Fourth is New Zealand, followed by other Nordic countries Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Luxembourg and the Netherlands tied for eighth place, with Germany and Iceland ranking 10th.

While corruption is largely absent in these top-ranking countries, the Philippines continues to face daily headlines highlighting corruption scandals, including probes into infrastructure anomalies that have contributed to severe flooding and widespread damage due to alleged flood control corruption schemes.