Georgia's Corruption Score Falls to Lowest Level in a Decade, Transparency International Says
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Georgia's score on Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has dropped by three points to 50 out of 100, marking the country's lowest result since 2013, according to Transparency International Georgia.
Despite the decline, Georgia still ranks highest among countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Globally, it placed 56th out of 181 countries, sharing the position with Bahrain, Greece, and Jordan.
Transparency International describes the CPI as a measure of how vulnerable a country's public sector is to corruption and notes that petty bribery is not widespread in Georgia. However, the index does not measure more complex forms of corruption such as state capture and kleptocracy, which the organization identifies as the country's main challenge.
In its analysis, Transparency International says Georgia illustrates "how democratic backsliding directly fuels corruption risks." The organization criticizes recent legislation, including the Foreign Agents Law and amendments to the Law on Grants, describing them as "anti-democratic measures to criminalize legitimate NGO activity and brand independent voices as foreign agents."
The report also points to pressure on non-governmental organizations, independent media, and the political opposition, concluding that this environment "is creating severely increased corruption risks and damaging Georgia's society as a whole."
Transparency International further notes that in nearly two-thirds of countries where CPI scores have significantly declined since 2012, governments have restricted freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. Georgia is cited alongside Indonesia, Peru, and Tunisia as an example of "politicized interference with NGO operations," including laws that limit access to funding and are accompanied by smear campaigns and intimidation.
Georgian Dream officials pushed back against the criticism, emphasizing Georgia's regional standing. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that "according to all objective assessments, Georgia is among the leading countries in various areas, one of which is the low level of corruption," adding that the country outperforms all EU candidate states and nearly ten EU member states.
Georgian Dream Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili echoed that view, writing on Facebook that "Georgia once again remains the undisputed leader in the region." He added that the country "outperforms seven EU member states and ten NATO member states," and called on Brussels to "stop the retaliation policy towards Georgia through disinformation campaigns."
Georgia's highest CPI score was recorded in 2018, when it reached 58 points.
