UK Finance pointed out that the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) from Transparency International delivers a sobering message for the United Kingdom: progress against graft has stalled, and decisive action is now essential. Released in early 2026, the 2025 CPI shows the UK’s score slipping another point to 70 out of 100, dropping it to 20th place globally.
As pointed out in a blog post by UK Finance, this marks the continuation of a worrying slide that began with a five-point plunge in 2022, a further two-point fall in 2023, and stagnation at an all-time low of 71 in 2024.
Globally, the picture is equally concerning.
The average score across 182 countries and territories dipped to 42—the first decline in more than a decade. Since 2012, only 31 nations have improved their ratings, while 50 have worsened and 100 have remained unchanged.
Even long-standing democracies such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, and Italy have either stagnated or declined.
Analysts link these trends to weakened democratic institutions, growing political interference in judicial systems, gaps in legislation (including dilutions to the EU’s Anti-Corruption Directive), and reduced enforcement, notably the scaling back of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
In the UK’s case, Transparency International attributes the latest decline to the 2024 general election, during which parties spent record sums on campaigning and deepened reliance on wealthy backers.
Persistent controversies surrounding political donations, lobbying, and privileged access to decision-makers have reinforced the perception that corruption risks becoming the “new normal.”
The message is clear: incremental tweaks will no longer suffice.
Yet the blog post, authored by KPMG professionals Gina Burley-Staffieri and Charlie Lewis-Orr and published by UK Finance on 23 February 2026, strikes a note of cautious optimism.
The government’s updated Anti-Corruption Strategy, launched in December 2025, represents a window to reverse course.
With proper implementation and cross-sector backing, the strategy could help Britain reclaim its traditional leadership role in global efforts to tackle illicit finance and restore public trust.
Financial institutions sit at the core of this reset.
Although the CPI primarily assesses public-sector corruption, it explicitly recognises the private sector’s role in moving dirty money.
Banks and other firms operating in weakly regulated environments must urgently strengthen due-diligence processes for identifying politically exposed persons and tightening controls on suspicious transactions.
These practical steps can deliver immediate gains in detecting high-level corruption.
Equally critical is the protection of whistleblowers.
Organisations should review and upgrade their internal reporting systems to guarantee secure, anonymous, and accessible channels for staff, customers, and partners.
Effective whistleblower safeguards remain one of the most powerful tools for surfacing hidden wrongdoing.
Finally, the private sector must embrace greater transparency through enhanced intelligence sharing on economic crime.
Collaborative platforms that enable cross-border information exchange—while respecting data-protection rules—can create a truly intelligence-led response to corruption networks that operate globally.
Corruption continues to top the agenda for policymakers worldwide.
The 2025 CPI results are likely to intensify pressure on both government and industry to deliver tangible results.
By moving decisively beyond business-as-usual approaches—strengthening internal controls, championing whistleblowers, and fostering smarter information sharing—the UK financial sector can play a pivotal part in turning the tide.
The UK Finance insights also indicated that the opportunity is now seemingly quite clear.
With the new strategy as a foundation and private-sector commitment as the engine, Britain can halt its slide, rebuild international credibility, and demonstrate that integrity in public and commercial life remains a non-negotiable cornerstone of economic strength and national security.