Armenia has made no progress in the fight against corruption over the past year – Transparency International
YEREVAN, December 9. /ARKA/. Armenia has made no progress in the fight against corruption over the past year, according to a statement from the anti-corruption center Transparency International.
“According to data published in early 2025, Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score for Armenia in 2024 remained unchanged compared to 2023—at 47 points—indicating that no progress has been recorded in the fight against corruption over the past year’’, the organization noted in a statement timed to coincide with International Anti-Corruption Day.
As the document states, data released in June 2025 by the International Republican Institute (IRI) from its public opinion research show that public trust in key state institutions continues to remain low.
According to public perception, infrastructure improvement programs are the most visible achievements, whereas only 3% of respondents identified the effectiveness of anticorruption measures as an accomplishment. At the same time, only 4% of those surveyed stated that the failure to combat corruption constitutes the government’s greatest shortcoming. These figures demonstrate that the public is largely uninformed about and disengaged from the fight against corruption.
“The lack of effectiveness in recent reform efforts in Armenia is reflected not only in indicators pertaining to the fight against corruption, but also across nearly all international indices related to public governance and the democratic agenda. This overall picture of stagnation should serve as a clear signal to the authorities that there are systemic issues in current policies, and that it is urgent to identify these problems, analyze their causes, and take concrete action to achieve genuine and sustainable results that meet public expectations”, the statement emphasizes.
In 2025, public attention was focused on the selective application of the law against political opponents, the use of disproportionate legal measures, the practice of wiretapping and unauthorized disclosure of recordings, and the lack of effective proceedings in corruption cases involving high-level officials, including cases related to the confiscation of property of illicit origin. The disregard of cases involving individuals with close ties to those in power, as well as the absence of transparency in the management of assets returned to the state and municipalities through confiscation, has undermined public trust in the justice system and has devalued the very notion of democratic and anticorruption reforms.
“It is concerning that high-ranking representatives of the ruling political party have harshly intervened in the affairs of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and have engaged in the targeting and stigmatization of independent media outlets and journalists. The non-transparent processes of decision-making particularly in appointments to key positions also remain problematic, giving rise to suspicions of favoritism”, Transparency International stated.
The year 2026 will be a decisive one for Armenia. Parliamentary elections and subsequently local self-government elections are expected to take place, serving as an important test for the country’s democratic consolidation. However, there are critical systemic issues that place at risk both the legality of the elections and public perceptions of their integrity.
To ensure free, fair, and transparent elections, Transparency International believes that the authorities must strengthen legal guarantees, ensure equal application of the law, prevent selective justice, and restore public trust in state institutions. Transparent management of illicit assets and public involvement in oversight of these processes are also essential.
