El Salvador Corruption Perception Index: The Country Drops Again in the 2024 Rankings, A Troubling Trend

Transparency International released its 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in February 2025, revealing a concerning decline for El Salvador Corruption Perception Index.

El Salvador ranked 130th out of 180 nations, dropping four places from the previous year’s position. This marks the fourth consecutive year of decline in the nation’s rankings.

The country received a score of 30 in 2024, a decrease of one point from 2023. In the CPI scoring system, 100 represents a very clean status, while 0 indicates a highly corrupt situation.

In El Salvador (30), which has dropped nine points since 2015, a new procurement law limited public access to information, allowing significant leeway for the discretion of individual decision-makers and hampering accountability in the acquisition of public goods and services. CPI 2024 for the Americas.

The latest ranking raises critical questions about the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts in El Salvador and its broader implications for democracy and economic stability.

Central America

In Central America, Costa Rika ranks first with a global ranking of 42 and a score of 58. Panama follows in second with a score of 33 and a ranking of 114, while El Salvador ranks third in the region.

Nicaragua ranks last in Central America with a score of 14 and a global ranking of 172. Honduras follows in second to last with a score of 22 and a global ranking of 154, while Guatemala is third to last with a score of 25 and a global ranking of 146.

Latin America

In Latin America, Uruguay leads with a global ranking of 13 and a score of 76, followed by Chile in second place with a score of 63 and a ranking of 32.

On the other end, Venezuela ranks last at 178 with a score of 10, while Nicaragua is second to last with a score of 14 and a global ranking of 172.

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According to Transparency International: “The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that corruption is a dangerous problem in every part of the world, but change for the better is happening in many countries.”

Furthermore, the CPI index highlights corruption as a major obstacle to climate action, slowing efforts to cut emissions and adapt to global warming’s impacts.