Nepal CPI Score 34/100: What the Corruption Numbers Actually Mean for Citizens

Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Nepal at 108 out of 180 countries, with a score of 34 out of 100 for 2025. A score of 50 is considered the threshold below which corruption is a significant obstacle to development.

What does 34 mean in practice? It means that:

Procurement contracts in Nepal's government — roads, schools, hospitals, power lines — are routinely awarded to companies with political connections rather than the lowest qualified bidder. Research by the Public Procurement Monitoring Office estimates 15-20% of public spending is lost to inflated contracts and kickbacks.

Public sector jobs above a certain pay grade are routinely bought and sold. The going rate for a gazetted officer position in Kathmandu — in formal circulation among party networks — is NPR 2-5 million. Junior positions in desirable departments cost NPR 500,000-1 million.

Land record manipulation, citizenship document processing, building permits, and vehicle registration all generate informal payments above official fees. These are not exceptional cases — they are the norm experienced by millions of Nepalis every year.

The RSP government was elected on an explicit anti-corruption mandate. Prime Minister Shah's record as Kathmandu mayor — demolishing 800+ illegal structures and opening blocked footpaths through procurement transparency — gives him more credibility on this issue than any predecessor since the republic's founding.

The CIAA (Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority) has been placed under direct reporting to the PM's office for the first time. The government has given the Commission a six-month mandate to complete three major high-profile corruption investigations that have been pending for years.

Nepal Next will track CPI scores and CIAA case outcomes annually.