The CPI, or the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is (according to the publishers Transparency International) the leading global indicator of public sector corruption and provides a comparative snapshot of 182 countries and territories. The latest index, for 2025, was published last week (10 February 2026) at this link.
It is often used by MLROs as a supplementary tool to assist in their understanding of money laundering risks in overseas territories.
Transparency International (TI) is a Berlin based non-profit organisation set up by former employees of the World Bank. The index is calculated using data from 13 external sources (including interviews of businesses around the globe) and scores countries out of 100, meaning that the higher the score, the lower the level of corruption is in the country. In this index, Denmark comes out best with a score of 89 in this year’s report – a drop of one point compared to 2024.
Ireland has a score of 76 (compared to 77 in the 2024 report) out of 100, meaning it ranks 15th out of 182 countries (a drop of four places compared to its ranking in the 2023 index).
As a result of this poorer score – Transparency International (TI) Ireland has called on the Government to strengthen transparency and oversight across political finance, corporate and financial services regulation. TI warned that the State remains exposed to emerging corruption risks that receive less public attention but may have significant long-term consequences.
See our ISQM TOOLKIT at this link. We can tailor ISQM training and brainstorming sessions to suit your firm’s unique requirements. Please contact John McCarthy FCA by email at john@jmcc.ie.
For AML training and compliance please send a mail to john@jmcc.ie.
For audit cold file reviews and tailored training sessions explaining more about various topics like AML, Audit, FRS 102, please send a mail to john@jmcc.ie.
For more on engagement and representation letter templates and a variety of CPD webinars on money laundering and other accounting/audit related topics, please go to our website for:
- Our latest CPD Webinar on The Main Changes in Irish GAAP (recorded July 2024)
- Anti-Money Laundering Policies Controls and Procedures Manual (March 2022) — View the table of contents
- AML Webinar (December 2023) available here, which accompanies the AML Manual. It explains the latest legal AML reporting position for accountancy firms and includes a quiz. Upon completion you receive a CPD certificate for attendance in your inbox.
- Letters of engagement and similar templates—Please visit our website here where immediate downloads are available in Word format. A bulk discount is available for orders of five or more items bought together.
ISQM TOOLKIT, or if you prefer to chat through the different audit risks and potential appropriate responses presented by this new standard. We typically tailor ISQM training and brainstorming sessions to suit your firm’s unique requirements. Please contact John McCarthy FCA by email at john@jmcc.ie.
