Transparency International has revealed that the level of corruption within the Maldivian state has increased.

According to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International on Tuesday, the Maldives' CPI score has decreased from 39 to 38.

The Transparency report notes that the Maldives is among the two-thirds of countries scoring below 50 points.

Transparency International, which releases the report annually, stated that when ranking countries, they consider surveys and expert studies to assess the level of corruption within governments. This year, the CPI focuses on the negative impacts of corruption on global efforts to combat climate change.

In the index that categorizes the level of corruption within the state, zero (0) is considered to indicate a very high level of perceived corruption. On the other hand, 100 indicates a very low level of perceived corruption.

The Maldives scored 38 in 2024. In this year's CPI, the Maldives ranks 96th out of 180 countries.

Transparency International has stated that the Maldives' score indicates little to no progress in anti-corruption efforts. In addition to this, they shed light on the need to strengthen investigations, prosecutions, and law enforcement to hold accountable political and high-ranking state officials involved in corrupt practices.

The report added that major reforms are required in the efforts to disclose conflicts of interest and recover assets and funds stolen through corrupt practices, while corruption is systematically entrenched at the highest levels of the state.