ISLAMABAD: Transparency International released the National Corruption Perception Survey 2025, which highlights persistent corruption concerns across Pakistan. The survey shows that corruption continues to affect public trust in government performance and state institutions. It also reveals that citizens remain highly sensitive to governance issues.
Survey Methodology
The organisation conducted the nationwide survey from 22 to 29 September 2025 across 20 districts. Teams collected responses from 4,000 participants, including men, women, and transgender persons. Urban residents represented 59% of respondents, while rural residents formed 41%. The latest survey shows significant growth from the NCPS 2023, which covered 16 districts with 1,600 participants. This expansion offers broader representation and deeper insight into public perception.
Key Findings
TI Pakistan Chairman Justice (R) Zia Pervez said the survey captures citizens’ perceptions rather than actual corruption levels. He added that feedback helps guide future reforms. According to the report, the 2025 exercise achieved greater inclusion of women, rural populations and persons with disabilities. The results show that 66% of citizens did not face pressure to pay bribes for public services in the past year. This finding indicates that bribery is not a daily challenge for many Pakistanis.
Public trust in economic management showed some improvement. Nearly 60% of respondents believed the government helped stabilise the economy through its IMF commitments. They also credited progress to Pakistan’s exit from the FATF grey list. Institutional perception also improved. Police services recorded a 6% positive shift, which observers linked to reforms and better service delivery. Perception of education, local government, taxation and land management also improved.
Public Demands and Governance Concerns
Respondents called for stronger accountability across all sectors. Many demanded reduced discretionary powers for public officials and more effective right-to-information laws. A majority also supported restructuring oversight bodies. Nearly 78% said institutions like NAB and FIA must operate more transparently. In the health sector, citizens demanded stricter monitoring of medicine commissions. They also sought clearer rules for private medical practice and stronger complaint systems.
Political funding also drew criticism. Eighty-three per cent supported banning or strictly regulating business funding for political parties. More than half supported removing politicians’ names and photos from government advertisements. Respondents also called for stronger whistleblower protection. However, 70% said they were unaware of any official corruption-reporting mechanism.
