The score of Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of Armenia in 2025 amounted to 46 points, which is one point lower than the previous year. Armenia occupies the 65th place in the global ranking table of 182 countries.
According to Annex 1 of the Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2023-2026, approved by the Decision of the Government of the RA No. 1871-L of 26 October, 2023, the progress recorded as a result of the measures implemented during 2023-2026 should have ensured an increase in the Corruption Perceptions Index and total to 55 points. Obviously, compared with the target indicator, the current situation in Armenia, according to international assessments, is highly concerning.
The results of 2025 demonstrate that corruption remains a serious challenge in many countries and regions of the world. In recent years, a number of important institutional reforms aimed at the formation and development of the anti-corruption system, have been implemented in Armenia. In particular, specialized bodies to combat corruption including: the Anti-Corruption Committee, the Corruption Prevention Commission, as well as anti-corruption courts and the relevant departments of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Armenia have been established. It was expected that the establishment and operation of these structures would contribute to increasing the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts and lead to the reduction in the level of Corruption Perceptions Index in the public sector.
At the same time with the increase of the involvement of CSOs through public councils attached to state bodies, there is a certain expansion of cooperation between state bodies and civil society.
However, a comparative analysis of the CPI indicators in recent years shows that the implemented institutional changes have not yet led to a significant improvement in the level of corruption perception. Although the decrease in the 2025 indicator compared to the previous year is not large and can be considered an acceptable statistical fluctuation, it also indicates that the impact of the implemented anti-corruption policy has not yet been expressed in the form of significant progress. In addition, comparative observations of recent years show that a decline of 2 points was recorded compared to the indicators of 2020-2021.
Armenia ranked 60th in the 2020 Global Corruption Perceptions Index with a score of 49 points, improving its position by 7 points compared to 2019. This significant difference provides grounds to draw the attention of relevant authorities to the effectiveness of the fight against corruption.
It should be noted at the same time, that corruption is a complex social phenomenon with a rapidly transforming nature. Expert studies conducted by the CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia shows that the perception of corruption in Armenia is often limited. In particular, the public does not always recognize phenomena such as nepotism, favoritism, and clientelism as manifestations of corruption.
These phenomena may have a significant impact on human resource management in the public sector, as well as on the transparency and accountability of the public procurement system, creating risks of non-competitive and non-transparent practices.
The situation is also concerning, from the perspective of transparency and accountability, as although the legislation of the Republic of Armenia defines the legal framework for managing conflicts of interest, yet its application is largely reactive in nature. The investigation of specific cases is carried out mainly post-factum, while the early prevention and deterrence tools remain limited in use.
In this context, the information provided by the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Committee within the framework of the report on the activities of the Committee in 2025 is noteworthy. According to this information, in 2025, the cases of 298 public servants were sent to court within the framework of criminal proceedings, 222 of whom were incumbent officials.
The above data and observations raise serious concerns regarding the effectiveness of corruption prevention and the implementation of anti-corruption policies.
The CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia also notes concerns regarding the selection processes for members of the Corruption Prevention Commission (CPC), emphasizing the need to take additional measures to make these competitions and selection procedures more transparent, accountable, and credible.
Another worrying practice involves closed court hearing, on the decision of the judge in cases concerning the confiscation of property of illicit origin of public interest, conducted without relevant motion or reasoned justification of the parties, citing need to ensure the interests of justice. Such practices may constitute a departure from the principle of publicity in cases of public significance and could undermine public trust in judicial fairness.
International best practices and accepted standards in the field of anti-corruption clearly emphasize the importance of maximum transparency and openness in judicial proceedings related to corruption cases. In particular, the United Nations Convention against Corruption, as well as the guidelines of the “Group of States against Corruption” of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, have repeatedly emphasized that the right of the public to be informed and the openness of judicial processes are of fundamental importance in the fight against corruption.
In this context, the CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenia identifies a number of systemic issues, including:
- Insufficient systemic policy in the field of anti-corruption education and public awareness: in particular, the policies of the government and the bodies of the anti-corruption institutional system do not sufficiently ensure the formation of a culture of intolerance towards corruption and the consistent implementation of preventive measures among the population as a whole, as well as among the public officials and civil servants.
- The need to ensure the independence and accountability of the institutional anti-corruption system: the incomplete application of transparency and public accountability mechanisms in the processes of selecting members of the Corruption Prevention Commission and filling vacant positions raises justified concerns about possible political influence and may hinder the recruitment of highly qualified, ethically sound professionals into the anti-corruption system.
At the same time, the Anti-Corruption Coalition reaffirms its willingness to:
- provide support to the Government of the Republic of Armenia in the process of full and comprehensive implementation of the goals and activities envisaged in the Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2023-2026;
- provide expert support to anti-corruption institutional bodies in facilitating the localization of international best practices and the development of institutional capacities;
- implement large-scale and systemic anti-corruption education and awareness-raising programs;
- Perform monitoring of the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy and provide recommendations aimed at improving the sectoral anti-corruption policies.
The Anti-Corruption Coalition is ready to dedicate its expertise to the implementation of anti-corruption reforms with the goal of creating a corruption-free, transparent, and integrity-based public administration environment in Armenia.
Note: The Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenian CSOs is a professional civil society structure that was founded on 28 November, 2014, in Yerevan. The Coalition currently has more than 50 civil society organization members, and the secretariat functions are carried out by the Armenian Lawyers’ Association.
Governing Board of the CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition of Armenian
13 March, 2026