Iran was among the most corrupt countries in the world, according to an annual Transparency International report released in February 2025. The Islamic Republic ranked 151st out of 180 governments evaluated. Its corruption perceptions index (CPI) score fell to 23 out of 100. The CPI is a global indicator of public sector corruption. Globally, the average CPI was 43. The average in the Middle East and North Africa was 39. A minority of countries, 32, had significantly reduced their levels of corruption while the majority of countries, 48, had stayed the same or worsened since 2012. Denmark remained in the top spot, scoring 90, while South Sudan recorded the lowest score at 8.
Iran’s low score came after a year of a worsening economic crisis, internal mismanagement and corruption, and illicit financial activities. The economic downturn, coupled with an energy crisis and power outages, resulted in part due to U.S. sanctions targeting Iran’s oil exports. In efforts to circumvent sanctions, Iranian officials and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force-affiliated businesses facilitated the illicit sale of oil and liquid petroleum gas to Syria and East Asia to fund the malign activities of Iran and its proxy network, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
