The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that corruption remains a serious threat worldwide, although there are some signs of progress, as highlighted by the Transparency International publication. 'Leaders must act to address abuses of power and the broader factors driving this deterioration, such as the rollback of democratic checks and balances and attacks on independent civil society.' Protests against governments in many parts of the world demonstrate that people are fed up with unaccountable leadership and demand reforms. While 31 countries have significantly reduced their levels of corruption since 2012, the rest are failing to address the issue, as they have stagnated or worsened during the same period. 'Years of government inaction have eroded democracy and allowed the growth of transnational organized crime, directly harming people by undermining human rights, public services, and security,' the text asserts. Corruption is another recurring problem that has enabled transnational organized crime to infiltrate the politics of countries like Mexico (27), Brazil (35), and Colombia (37).
