Serbia continues to decline in terms of the perception of corruption and, during 2025, for the first time fell to the bottom of the table among the former Yugoslav republics, Transparency Serbia has noted.
Last year, the Corruption Perceptions Index in Serbia stood at 33 points (out of a possible 100), which is two points fewer than in 2024, placing it 116th out of 182 countries worldwide.
Serbia’s index is the lowest since 2012, when the current methodology began to be applied, and its position on the global list is the weakest since 2004, Transparency added.
All the Balkan countries rank above Serbia: Bosnia and Herzegovina with 34 points, Albania with 39, North Macedonia and Bulgaria with one point more, while Kosovo has 43.
They are followed by Romania with 45 points, Montenegro with one more, Croatia with 47, while Slovenia’s index stands at 58.
The situation is alarming and worse than in previous years, when Serbia was treading water or recording slight progress or decline, whereas the current drop is considerably sharper, assessed Nemanja Nenadić, Programme Director of Transparency Serbia, at the presentation of the report.
The mass anti-government protests launched by students and the change in citizens’ awareness of corruption were one of the two main differences compared with previous years, and the organisation’s research showed that, for the first time in history, corruption has been rated as the greatest problem facing society, Nenadić added.
The second difference consists of investigations and indictments initiated against current and former ministers at the Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime, something that has not occurred in Serbia since the 1990s, he assessed.
“Following the investigation into alleged abuses by members of the government, the Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime in Serbia is facing increasing pressure.
“This includes government smear campaigns, obstruction of police cooperation and legislative changes that weaken its ability to investigate organised crime and high-level corruption,” the organisation’s statement said.
They also pointed to non-transparent decision-making in connection with valuable public and private investments.
As an example, they cite the Army General Staff building case, in which the Government of Serbia, without applying competitive procedures, signed a secret contract with a foreign investor and unlawfully removed the protection status of a cultural monument.
For the ninth consecutive year, Serbia’s index has either declined or remained unchanged, and over that period it has fallen by a total of nine index points.
Although the government’s Anti-Corruption Strategy sets the goal of reaching the global average of 43 points by 2028, state authorities attach insufficient importance to the fight against corruption, even at a declarative level.
There is, therefore, only a theoretical possibility that this goal will be achieved, Nemanja Nenadić assessed.
Who ranks best and who ranks worst in the world?
For the first time since Transparency began publishing the data, Bosnia and Herzegovina has overtaken Serbia on the global list, as its index is one point higher at 34.
Serbia is now ranked alongside Thailand, Panama and Ecuador in 116th place, as many as 45 positions below its best result in 2015, the global report shows.
Serbia’s score is nine points below the global average and 29 points lower than the European Union average, while in Europe, only Belarus (31), Turkey (31) and Russia (22) are rated worse.
Weak institutions and democratic backsliding foster corruption and restrict the work of civil society in the region, Transparency International stated in its regional report.
In several Western Balkan countries, inadequate action by the judiciary is one of the main obstacles to a successful fight against corruption, they added.
Denmark is the world’s highest-rated country with 89 points, Finland has one point fewer and Singapore 84.
Somalia and South Sudan are the lowest ranked with nine points each, while Venezuela has one more.
Transparency Serbia expressed concern over the rise in corruption worldwide, even in stable democratic societies.
(Naslovi.net, BBC Serbia, 10.02.2026)