Indonesia has fallen ten places in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), ranking 109th out of 182 countries. The drop comes amid concerns about weakening civil society oversight and rising bribery cases.

Civil Oversight and Bribery Concerns

Transparency International’s Indonesian office noted that suppressed civil liberties and limited media scrutiny have allowed corruption to spread. Ferdian Yazid, a researcher at the group, said nepotism remains a concern under President Prabowo Subianto, and anti-corruption mechanisms are yet to be fully effective.

Controversial Environmental Permits

The revocation of permits for 28 companies accused of contributing to last year’s Sumatran floods, which killed over 1,200 people, was highlighted as an opaque process. Danang Widoyoko of Transparency International criticised the lack of audits, judicial review, or opportunity for companies to respond.

Regional and Global Context

Indonesia now shares a CPI score with countries such as Algeria, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Laos, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It ranks below Singapore, Malaysia, East Timor, and Vietnam but above Thailand, Laos, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Globally, Denmark ranked highest and South Sudan lowest. Transparency International noted that 50 countries have seen major declines in their CPI scores since 2012.

(with inputs from Reuters)