Singapore retains position as least corrupt country in Asia-Pacific: Global anti-graft watchdog

SINGAPORE – Singapore again emerged as the least corrupt country in the Asia-Pacific region in 2025, and the third-least corrupt nation in the world. It also earned these accolades in 2024.

The rankings are listed in global anti-graft watchdog Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report released on Feb 10.

But the report said that while Singapore scored well in the rankings, it faced scrutiny for facilitating the movement of dirty money.

Singapore scored 84 out of a possible 100 on the index, with zero for highly corrupt and 100 for very clean, to be ranked the third-least corrupt nation in the world.

The Republic scored 83 and 84 in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The highest score it recorded was 87 in 2012, when the metric was revamped by Transparency International.

On Feb 10, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau said Singapore’s strong performance in 2025’s rankings is due to robust legislation, effective enforcement and a vigilant society.

Its spokesman said: “This zero tolerance towards corruption and collective determination to do the right thing remain the cornerstone of Singapore’s enduring reputation as a clean and corruption-free nation.” 

Denmark, which achieved a score of 89 in 2025, was ranked the least corrupt country for the eighth consecutive year.

This was followed by Finland (88), Singapore (84), New Zealand (81), Norway (81) and Sweden (80).

The latest CPI ranked 182 countries and territories according to the levels of public-sector corruption perceived by experts and business people.

In 2024, Singapore beat New Zealand, which had held the top spot in the Asia-Pacific region for 14 years.

The report showed that corruption is worsening globally, with the global average score dropping from 43 to 42 in 2025. Only five countries managed to achieve a score above 80, compared with 12 a decade ago.

More than two-thirds of the ranked countries and territories scored below 50, including South Sudan (9), Venezuela (10), North Korea (15), Thailand (33) and Indonesia (34).

Another area of concern was the declining performance of democratic countries, which typically rank higher than autocracies or flawed democracies.

Countries whose scores dropped in 2025 from 2024 included the US (64), New Zealand (81), Britain (70) and France (66).

While these countries still rank near the top of the index, they have slipped noticeably compared with their past results, said the report.

The US received its lowest-ever score in 2025. It scored 69 in 2023 and 65 in 2024.

In a statement released together with the report, Transparency International said high CPI scores do not guarantee that countries are corruption-free.

This is because several top-scoring nations enable corruption in other countries by facilitating the laundering and transfer of proceeds of corruption across borders, which the CPI does not cover.

Singapore and Switzerland were named as examples of countries that have faced scrutiny for facilitating the movement of dirty money. The report did not elaborate on this.

In October 2025, Singapore police seized and issued prohibition of disposal orders against six properties and various financial assets worth over $150 million that were tied to Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi and his company Prince Group, in relation to money laundering and forgery offences.

This was shortly after the US and British authorities announced sweeping sanctions on Chen, Prince Group and his close associates. The group was accused of committing money laundering and wire fraud offences, and operating forced-labour scam compounds in Cambodia.

Chen was arrested in Cambodia and deported to China on Jan 6.

Singapore’s strong reputation for incorruptibility, coupled with the ease of doing business and raising finance, has ironically made it attractive for bad actors to set up corrupt enterprises here with a veneer of respectability, said Mr Wilson Ang, head of the Asia-Pacific regulatory compliance and investigations practice at law firm Norton Rose Fulbright.

“Sometimes described as ‘Singapore-washing’, some companies engaging in illegal and fraudulent activities have sought to rely on their Singapore-incorporated status to evade suspicion,” he said.

To combat corruption, Singapore could update and enhance its laws on bribery, whistle-blowing and corporate liability to provide its prosecutors and law enforcement agencies with more tools and measures, said Mr Ang.

The increase in non-traditional players like payment service providers, fintech companies and cryptocurrency exchanges means that Singapore’s money laundering controls must also keep pace, he added.

He said: “This means expanding robust safeguards beyond established financial institutions and working closely with foreign counterparts to curb cross-border flows of dirty money.”