PH not the ‘most corrupt’ country in Asia, corruption indices show

The Philippines is not Asia’s most corrupt nation, contrary to a viral Facebook claim. Several Asian countries rank worse in recent international corruption indices. 

Facebook page No to Liberal Party made the false claim in a Sept. 18 post: 

The Philippines is now the most corrupt nation in Asia! Salamat BBM at mga Kakampinks (Thank you BBM and Kakampinks)!

Of 46 Asian countries included In global anti-corruption Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), 21 Asian countries, including transcontinental countries Egypt, Russia and Turkey, scored lower than the Philippines. The country scored 32 out of 100 and ranked 120th globally among 182 countries monitored worldwide. West Asia’s Yemen had the lowest score at 13 and ranked 177th. 

The CPI ranks countries by perceived levels of public-sector corruption, including bribery and diversion of public funds, based on assessments by experts and businesspeople. 

Sweden-based human rights watchdog Varieties for Democracy (V-Dem) Institute’s 2025 Public Sector Corruption Index (PSCI), which measures the extent of public sector employees engaging in bribery and theft, ranked the Philippines 22nd among 47 Asian countries included in the index, with 25 countries ranking worse. Central Asia’s Turkmenistan ranked lowest.

On V-Dem Institute’s Executive Corruption Index,  which measures bribery, theft and public funds misuse among higher public officials, the Philippines ranked 10th among 46 monitored Asian countries. Tajikistan, also in Central Asia, ranked poorest.

V-Dem Institute’s indices draw on assessments by country experts, human rights research and political institution assessments. 

No to Liberal Party, created on July 7, 2015, posts mostly pro-Duterte and political commentaries to 112,000 followers. Its Sept. 18 post had gathered 7,000 reactions, 1,500 comments and 872 shares as of writing. (EBU)