International perception of corruption in Spain grows, now worse than in Rwanda or Saudi Arabia

Spain has fallen for the fifth consecutive year in the corruption perception index compiled by international experts, down one point from 2024 (from a score of 56 to 55 in the world ranking) and once again placing it below countries such as Rwanda (58) and Saudi Arabia (57), which are authoritarian regimes.

According to Transparency International, which presented its annual report for 2025 in Madrid on Tuesday, Spain has been one of the European countries where the perception of corruption has grown the most, along with Bulgaria, in a turbulent year for the PSOE and the government due to the Koldo case, which has led to the imprisonment of, among others, former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos and his former adviser Koldo García, as well as the former secretary of organisation of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán, who has been released pending trial.

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Another finding highlighted by the analysis is that among the countries that have improved the most in terms of the perception of corruption since 2012 are Greece (up 14 points to 50) and the Czech Republic (up 10 points to 59). In contrast, Spain is among the countries that have fallen the most since 2012, down a total of ten points to its current score of 55, along with Malta, which has fallen eight points to 49.

One case that experts highlight is that of the United Kingdom (70), which has fallen 12 places since 2017. Also noteworthy are the efforts made over the last decade by Estonia (76), Latvia (60) and Lithuania (65) and their commitment to opening up government and undertaking anti-corruption reforms, although they warn that gaps remain, particularly with regard to the transparency of lobbies, the protection of whistleblowers and clarity in party financing.

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