Media Corruption Score by country
Gauges the frequency with which journalists, publishers, or broadcasters accept payments to modify news content, indicating the integrity (or corruption) of the media sphere.
Countries reporting
172
Highest
3.38
Belgium
Lowest
-3
North Korea
Median
0.396
Years covered
126
1900–2025
Data points
18,887
What the numbers show
Media Corruption Score is currently reported for 172 countries. The highest value is 3.38 in Belgium; the lowest is -3 in North Korea.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.396, and the mean is 0.4858.
Over the past decade 64 countries rose and 88 fell. The largest increase was in Seychelles (up 744.1%), and the largest decrease in Myanmar (down 16,050.0%).
Media Corruption Score: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 3.38 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 2 | Denmark | 3.31 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Sweden | 3.26 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 4 | Germany | 3.23 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 5 | France | 3.14 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 6 | Switzerland | 3.07 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 7 | Lithuania | 2.97 | 2025 | up 15.8% | volatile |
| 8 | Canada | 2.95 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 9 | Cape Verde | 2.87 | 2025 | up 85.8% | volatile |
| 11 | Norway | 2.77 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 13 | Netherlands | 2.72 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 14 | Iceland | 2.72 | 2025 | up 29.0% | flat |
| 15 | Slovakia | 2.66 | 2025 | up 64.8% | volatile |
| 16 | Finland | 2.56 | 2025 | down 12.8% | rising |
| 17 | Estonia | 2.5 | 2025 | down 9.4% | rising |
| 18 | Chile | 2.47 | 2025 | down 14.4% | volatile |
| 19 | United Kingdom | 2.42 | 2025 | down 1.3% | rising |
| 20 | Mauritius | 2.35 | 2025 | up 9.1% | rising |
| 21 | Latvia | 2.35 | 2025 | up 29.1% | volatile |
| 22 | South Korea | 2.34 | 2025 | up 46.0% | volatile |
| 23 | Japan | 2.13 | 2025 | down 21.4% | volatile |
| 24 | Cyprus | 2.12 | 2025 | down 27.3% | volatile |
| 25 | Czechia | 2.11 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 26 | Barbados | 2.06 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 27 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2.05 | 2025 | up 77.3% | volatile |
| 28 | Uruguay | 2.01 | 2025 | down 12.4% | volatile |
| 29 | Sri Lanka | 1.99 | 2025 | up 438.6% | falling |
| 30 | New Zealand | 1.99 | 2025 | up 8.6% | rising |
| 31 | Vanuatu | 1.98 | 2025 | up 19.3% | rising |
| 32 | Costa Rica | 1.96 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 33 | Bhutan | 1.95 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 34 | Guyana | 1.93 | 2025 | up 72.7% | falling |
| 35 | United States | 1.85 | 2025 | down 33.1% | rising |
| 36 | Brazil | 1.83 | 2025 | up 8.5% | volatile |
| 37 | Kenya | 1.8 | 2025 | up 18.8% | volatile |
| 38 | Portugal | 1.74 | 2025 | down 12.6% | volatile |
| 39 | Australia | 1.72 | 2025 | down 47.8% | flat |
| 40 | South Africa | 1.72 | 2025 | up 9.9% | volatile |
| 41 | Senegal | 1.69 | 2025 | up 4.8% | volatile |
| 42 | Poland | 1.68 | 2025 | down 30.5% | volatile |
| 43 | Namibia | 1.6 | 2025 | down 28.7% | volatile |
| 44 | Panama | 1.57 | 2025 | up 32.3% | volatile |
| 45 | Jamaica | 1.49 | 2025 | up 22.0% | volatile |
| 46 | Ghana | 1.39 | 2025 | up 53.0% | falling |
| 47 | Gambia | 1.38 | 2025 | up 262.8% | volatile |
| 48 | Maldives | 1.38 | 2025 | up 659.8% | volatile |
| 49 | Peru | 1.37 | 2025 | down 7.8% | volatile |
| 50 | Italy | 1.36 | 2025 | down 39.4% | volatile |
| 51 | Greece | 1.34 | 2025 | down 17.6% | volatile |
| 52 | Singapore | 1.29 | 2025 | down 35.4% | rising |
| 53 | Tunisia | 1.25 | 2025 | down 9.0% | volatile |
| 54 | Suriname | 1.2 | 2025 | up 50.1% | volatile |
| 55 | Israel | 1.19 | 2025 | down 30.3% | rising |
| 56 | Spain | 1.17 | 2025 | down 41.5% | volatile |
| 57 | Venezuela | 1.16 | 2025 | up 38.2% | volatile |
| 58 | Colombia | 1.13 | 2025 | down 28.1% | volatile |
| 59 | Austria | 1.1 | 2025 | down 49.5% | rising |
| 59 | Bolivia | 1.1 | 2025 | up 16.6% | volatile |
| 62 | Mexico | 1.05 | 2025 | up 294.0% | volatile |
| 63 | Malaysia | 1.04 | 2025 | up 75.2% | volatile |
| 64 | Malawi | 1.03 | 2025 | up 50.4% | volatile |
| 65 | Lesotho | 1.02 | 2025 | down 9.3% | volatile |
| 66 | Argentina | 1.01 | 2025 | up 5.6% | volatile |
| 67 | Guatemala | 1.01 | 2025 | up 5.5% | volatile |
| 68 | Uganda | 0.975 | 2025 | down 26.8% | volatile |
| 69 | Palestine | 0.942 | 1948 | unchanged | flat |
| 70 | Hong Kong | 0.929 | 2025 | down 52.7% | volatile |
| 71 | East Timor | 0.924 | 2025 | up 425.0% | volatile |
| 72 | Nepal | 0.91 | 2025 | down 10.0% | volatile |
| 73 | Papua New Guinea | 0.855 | 2025 | up 3.5% | flat |
| 74 | Vietnam | 0.838 | 2025 | up 319.0% | volatile |
| 75 | Solomon Islands | 0.8 | 2025 | down 24.0% | volatile |
| 76 | Libya | 0.799 | 2025 | down 17.0% | volatile |
| 77 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.789 | 2025 | up 419.1% | volatile |
| 78 | Taiwan | 0.774 | 2025 | down 9.2% | volatile |
| 79 | Thailand | 0.755 | 2025 | down 11.3% | volatile |
| 80 | Zambia | 0.697 | 2025 | up 20.2% | volatile |
| 81 | Fiji | 0.661 | 2025 | down 52.0% | falling |
| 82 | Mali | 0.641 | 2025 | up 176.3% | volatile |
| 83 | Montenegro | 0.617 | 2025 | down 18.7% | volatile |
| 84 | Honduras | 0.567 | 2025 | up 297.6% | volatile |
| 85 | Croatia | 0.563 | 2025 | down 59.2% | volatile |
| 86 | Burkina Faso | 0.545 | 2025 | down 5.2% | falling |
| 87 | Liberia | 0.507 | 2025 | up 89.2% | volatile |
| 88 | Bulgaria | 0.456 | 2025 | up 0.4% | volatile |
| 89 | Ethiopia | 0.406 | 2025 | down 26.4% | volatile |
| 90 | Sudan | 0.386 | 2025 | down 44.0% | volatile |
| 91 | Botswana | 0.372 | 2025 | down 76.4% | volatile |
| 92 | Morocco | 0.363 | 2025 | down 13.2% | volatile |
| 93 | Philippines | 0.356 | 2025 | down 6.8% | volatile |
| 94 | Sierra Leone | 0.344 | 2025 | up 358.6% | volatile |
| 95 | Nigeria | 0.334 | 2025 | down 54.4% | falling |
| 96 | Dominican Republic | 0.33 | 2025 | up 172.4% | volatile |
| 96 | Mongolia | 0.33 | 2025 | down 54.9% | volatile |
| 98 | Tanzania | 0.308 | 2025 | up 454.0% | volatile |
| 99 | Ecuador | 0.288 | 2025 | down 63.5% | volatile |
| 100 | Seychelles | 0.287 | 2025 | up 744.1% | volatile |
| 101 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.283 | 2025 | down 57.7% | falling |
| 102 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.267 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 103 | El Salvador | 0.246 | 2025 | down 65.8% | volatile |
| 104 | Kuwait | 0.244 | 2025 | up 78.1% | falling |
| 105 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.225 | 2025 | down 77.8% | volatile |
| 106 | Mozambique | 0.22 | 2025 | up 65.4% | volatile |
| 107 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.218 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 108 | Djibouti | 0.216 | 2025 | up 167.9% | volatile |
| 109 | Slovenia | 0.205 | 2025 | down 90.5% | falling |
| 110 | Armenia | 0.143 | 2025 | up 160.3% | volatile |
| 111 | Georgia | 0.125 | 2025 | down 91.9% | falling |
| 112 | Bangladesh | 0.118 | 2025 | down 76.1% | volatile |
| 113 | North Macedonia | 0.1 | 2025 | up 126.0% | volatile |
| 114 | Gabon | 0.099 | 2025 | down 77.0% | volatile |
| 115 | Rwanda | 0.084 | 2025 | up 380.0% | volatile |
| 116 | Comoros | 0.038 | 2025 | down 95.5% | volatile |
| 117 | India | -0.022 | 2025 | down 103.7% | volatile |
| 118 | Indonesia | -0.041 | 2025 | down 116.3% | volatile |
| 119 | Niger | -0.059 | 2025 | down 117.7% | volatile |
| 120 | Madagascar | -0.101 | 2025 | down 388.6% | volatile |
| 121 | Iraq | -0.122 | 2025 | up 55.8% | volatile |
| 122 | Benin | -0.15 | 2025 | down 181.5% | volatile |
| 123 | South Sudan | -0.152 | 2025 | up 79.9% | volatile |
| 124 | Pakistan | -0.154 | 2025 | up 72.9% | volatile |
| 125 | Paraguay | -0.189 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 126 | Democratic Republic of Congo | -0.19 | 2025 | up 35.8% | volatile |
| 127 | Lebanon | -0.227 | 2025 | down 266.1% | rising |
| 128 | Mauritania | -0.229 | 2025 | down 200.4% | volatile |
| 129 | Hungary | -0.248 | 2025 | down 124.9% | volatile |
| 130 | Syria | -0.307 | 2025 | up 88.3% | volatile |
| 131 | Jordan | -0.326 | 2025 | up 11.9% | volatile |
| 132 | Yemen | -0.329 | 2025 | down 12.3% | volatile |
| 133 | Zimbabwe | -0.336 | 2025 | up 18.2% | falling |
| 134 | Albania | -0.378 | 2025 | down 672.7% | volatile |
| 135 | Algeria | -0.423 | 2025 | down 166.8% | volatile |
| 136 | Ukraine | -0.444 | 2025 | up 33.1% | volatile |
| 137 | Cambodia | -0.465 | 2025 | up 4.1% | volatile |
| 138 | Cameroon | -0.474 | 2025 | down 30.6% | volatile |
| 139 | Romania | -0.534 | 2025 | down 323.4% | volatile |
| 140 | Togo | -0.705 | 2025 | down 1,862.5% | volatile |
| 141 | Central African Republic | -0.791 | 2025 | down 159.3% | volatile |
| 142 | Congo | -0.828 | 2025 | down 507.9% | volatile |
| 143 | Serbia | -0.845 | 2025 | down 94.7% | volatile |
| 144 | Haiti | -0.879 | 2025 | down 37.1% | falling |
| 145 | Uzbekistan | -0.913 | 2025 | up 64.6% | rising |
| 146 | Oman | -0.946 | 2025 | up 59.1% | falling |
| 147 | Kazakhstan | -0.978 | 2025 | down 28.2% | volatile |
| 148 | Moldova | -1.01 | 2025 | down 237.8% | volatile |
| 149 | Turkey | -1.04 | 2025 | down 61.3% | volatile |
| 150 | Guinea | -1.05 | 2025 | down 190.8% | volatile |
| 150 | Somalia | -1.05 | 2025 | down 43.4% | rising |
| 152 | Angola | -1.07 | 2025 | up 21.7% | rising |
| 153 | Chad | -1.1 | 2025 | down 49.0% | volatile |
| 154 | Bahrain | -1.11 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 155 | Eswatini | -1.24 | 2025 | down 5,064.0% | volatile |
| 156 | Burundi | -1.27 | 2025 | down 306.7% | volatile |
| 157 | Myanmar | -1.28 | 2025 | down 16,050.0% | volatile |
| 158 | Iran | -1.46 | 2025 | down 24.6% | volatile |
| 159 | United Arab Emirates | -1.51 | 2025 | down 15.5% | rising |
| 160 | Egypt | -1.54 | 2025 | down 28.2% | volatile |
| 161 | Saudi Arabia | -1.58 | 2025 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 162 | Azerbaijan | -1.7 | 2025 | down 40.7% | volatile |
| 163 | Laos | -2.05 | 2025 | up 15.8% | volatile |
| 164 | Belarus | -2.08 | 2025 | up 5.1% | volatile |
| 165 | Cuba | -2.09 | 2025 | down 87.3% | volatile |
| 166 | Tajikistan | -2.12 | 2025 | down 49.9% | volatile |
| 167 | Nicaragua | -2.14 | 2025 | down 342.0% | volatile |
| 168 | Equatorial Guinea | -2.22 | 2025 | down 18.3% | flat |
| 169 | China | -2.23 | 2025 | down 107.1% | volatile |
| 170 | Qatar | -2.28 | 2025 | up 9.2% | flat |
| 171 | Afghanistan | -2.52 | 2025 | down 575.7% | volatile |
| 172 | Russia | -2.71 | 2025 | down 68.3% | rising |
| 172 | Turkmenistan | -2.71 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 174 | Eritrea | -2.95 | 2025 | down 2.1% | falling |
| 175 | North Korea | -3 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
About this data
Gauges the frequency with which journalists, publishers, or broadcasters accept payments to modify news content, indicating the integrity (or corruption) of the media sphere.