According to the annual report by Transparency International, released on 10 February 2026 and cited by Lusa, the country registered 56 points, confirming a downward trend that has intensified over the past four years.

José Fontão, president of Transparency International Portugal, points to a correlation between this decline and the degradation of institutions, associated with the rise of populist discourse and the succession of high-profile judicial cases involving public-sector figures and political parties.

Detailed analysis indicates that the decline was influenced by Portugal's negative performance in The Economist's index, which assesses government accountability and the management of public funds.

Currently, the country shares its ranking with Grenada and Costa Rica, being surpassed by nations such as Botswana, Rwanda, and Saudi Arabia. The report warns that this perception of corruption in the public sector has direct impacts on investment and national development, requiring a long-term strategy and the strengthening of mechanisms such as MENAC to reverse the cycle of institutional distrust.

Government response

In response to the data, the Government issued a statement through the Ministry of Justice, emphasising that the index does not fully reflect the most recent reforms. The Executive highlights that the Anti-Corruption Agenda, approved in June 2024, has already completed 17 of its 42 measures, including new mechanisms for asset forfeiture due to criminal activity.

According to the Government, many of the actions implemented by previous administrations are not yet reflected in international reports due to specific evaluation periods, reiterating its commitment to presenting a detailed implementation report to the Assembly of the Republic shortly.