On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, Transparency International released a new edition of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks 182 countries by public-sector integrity. Brazil scored 35 points on a scale from 0 to 100 – where a higher score indicates a lower perceived level of corruption – and is ranked 107th. This is Brazil’s second-worst CPI score, one point higher than last year (2024), when it recorded its lowest score. The ranking remains unchanged.
Brazil’s performance continues to fall below the average score of 42 points recorded both globally and across the Americas. Recent large-scale corruption cases contributed to this negative outcome, including those investigated in Operations Sem Desconto, Carbono Oculto, and Compliance Zero, as well as the sharp increase in parliamentary budget amendments (emendas parlamentares).
Overall, Brazil’s performance in the CPI – at a level that suggests a moderately high perceived level of corruption – may affect the country’s standing among foreign investors and other market participants, who may view it as a higher-risk environment, with potential impacts on investment decisions, the cost of capital, and the pricing of transactions in Brazil.
From the perspective of legal entities operating in the country, this scenario also reinforces the importance of adopting and maintaining robust internal integrity controls, policies, and procedures, particularly to prevent, detect, and remediate potential wrongful acts against the public administration. In particular, regulated sectors and/or businesses whose activities involve more frequent interactions with public officials – directly or through third-party intermediaries – should further strengthen their compliance practices, including third-party management, recordkeeping and controls, and detection and response mechanisms.