Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is an essential global governance indicator, scrutinized by investors, credit rating agencies, multilateral lenders, European institutions, and policymakers. The 2025 CPI highlights a global trend where institutional credibility is a form of power.
The index ranks 182 countries on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates extreme corruption and 100 represents high integrity. The global average is 42, with more than two-thirds scoring below 50, making institutional fragility common.
The CPI assesses perceived institutional reliability through expert assessments and business surveys, focusing on factors like judicial independence and transparency, rather than actual corruption cases. In economic decision-making, perceived reliability is as crucial as reality.
Morocco scores 39/100, ranking 91st, tying with Tunisia, indicating an average perception. Algeria scores 34, ranking 109th. Morocco remains stable and economically active but seen as institutionally average. Over the decade, Morocco’s score has ranged from 36 to 40, showing no major change. Aspiring to be a strategic partner in Europe and Africa, stagnation has strategic effects.
Countries at the bottom of the CPI, like Venezuela, Somalia, and South Sudan, struggle with systemic corruption linked to conflict and institutional collapse. In contrast, top-ranking countries like Denmark and Finland show institutional reliability and predictability, creating trust.
In the Middle East, the UAE scores 69, leading in the region, followed by Saudi Arabia with 57, Qatar with 58, Bahrain with 50, and Kuwait with 46. Iraq scores 28. The UAE benefits from investments in governance and administrative efficiency, while Saudi Arabia continues reforms under Vision 2030.
Morocco’s institutional perception impacts its economic and diplomatic position. A CPI score below 40 triggers more scrutiny and potentially higher risk premiums. Morocco’s Western Sahara issue involves legal and geopolitical factors, with EU legal challenges affecting agreements.
Institutional perception is crucial in geopolitical contexts, as it influences the interpretative environment surrounding legal and political debates. Countries perceived as robust benefit from narrative credibility.
Toward 2035, Morocco has two potential paths. Improving its score could enhance its European partnerships and investment attractiveness. Stagnation would maintain stability but risk relative decline against regional competitors with better governance perceptions.
The CPI doesn’t dictate destiny but influences its perception. For Morocco, the challenge is to transcend mediocrity, not just avoid instability.
Isaac Hammouch, a Belgian-Moroccan journalist and writer, focuses on governance, societal challenges, and structural transformations.
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