According to Transparency International Georgia, Georgia’s score in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has decreased by 3 points. Based on the organization’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, Georgia’s score fell by 3 points to 50.

Transparency International Georgia explains that on a 100-point scale, 50 represents an average result, and Georgia has not recorded such a low score since 2013, despite still ranking first in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

“The Corruption Perceptions Index primarily measures how vulnerable a country’s public sector is to corruption, for example, how widespread petty bribery is. Georgia’s average score indicates that petty bribery is not widespread in the country; however, the index does not measure more complex forms of corruption, such as state capture and kleptocracy. In Georgia, this is precisely the main challenge in terms of corruption.

The Corruption Perceptions Index covers 181 countries. Countries are assessed on a 100-point scale, where 100 represents the best result and 0 the worst.

According to the accompanying analysis of the 2025 results, the decline in Georgia’s score - and the corresponding increase in corruption risks - is directly linked to democratic backsliding and the rise of authoritarianism in the country.

In Georgia’s case, it is clearly visible how democratic regression directly contributes to increased corruption risks. The so-called ‘foreign agents’ law and the grants law introduced by the ruling party are anti-democratic measures that criminalize the legitimate activities of non-governmental organizations and label independent actors as foreign agents.

The party has also intensified politically motivated criminal prosecutions against dissenting voices, restricted the media, frozen the bank accounts of non-governmental organizations, and violently dispersed protesters and journalists.

Following the disputed 2024 elections and the suspension of EU integration negotiations, international observers have spoken of an authoritarian turn in Georgia, reflected in attempts to ban opposition parties and deepen political control over the civil service, the police, and the judiciary. This sharply increases corruption risks and overall harms Georgian society.

In nearly two-thirds of the countries whose CPI scores have significantly declined since 2012, there is a worrying trend of restrictions on freedom of expression, association, and assembly.

Over the past decade, in countries such as Georgia, Indonesia, Peru, and Tunisia, governments have adopted new laws to restrict access to funding or to directly shut down organizations that monitor and criticize authorities, as a result of politicized interference in the work of non-governmental organizations. These processes are often accompanied by smear campaigns and intimidation.

In this context, it becomes increasingly difficult for independent journalists, civil society organizations, and whistleblowers to speak freely about corruption, while the risk of abuse of power by corrupt officials increases,” Transparency International Georgia said in its statement.