88% People Believe India is a Corrupt Country: Corruption Survey 2025

88% People Believe India is a Corrupt Country: Corruption Survey 2025

As a direct vote of no-confidence in the domestic judicial system, a large majority of 76% believe Indian corruption crimes should be prosecuted in international courts.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | November 11, 2025

A new survey, the “India Corruption Perception Survey 2025,” by RMN News Service and the RMN Foundation reveals a profound and widespread crisis of faith in India’s public and judicial institutions. The findings, current up to November 11, 2025, paint a stark picture of public discontent rooted in lived experience. The report was written by Rakesh Raman, a national award-winning journalist and anti-corruption activist.

The survey confirms a pervasive crisis: an overwhelming 88% of respondents believe India is a corrupt country, and 80% of those polled report being directly affected by corruption. Corruption is seen not as an abstract concept, but as a pervasive force shaping the everyday lives of ordinary citizens and eroding the foundations of the nation’s democratic and economic stability.

The governing class bears the overwhelming brunt of the blame. Bureaucrats were identified as the primary culprits by 47% of respondents, with politicians following closely at 44%. This near-equal distribution of blame suggests the public perceives a symbiotic relationship between the administrative state and the political class. In sharp contrast, only 9% of those surveyed blamed private companies.

This corruption is viewed by the public as having devastating consequences. Respondents cited the “Death of Democracy” and “Unemployment” as the two most severe outcomes, with each cited by 23% of those surveyed. Other debilitating consequences listed included Injustice (20%), Poverty (12%), Inflation (11%), Human Rights Violations (9%), and Hunger (2%).

The core issue, according to a strong majority of 80%, is a “criminal nexus between business oligarchs and top politicians” that lies at the root of the systemic rot.

This widespread distrust extends to the institutions of justice:

• A staggering 86% of respondents believe that Indian anti-corruption agencies are not working honestly.
• 88% of those surveyed believe that corrupt bureaucrats and politicians are not punished suitably for their crimes.
• The crisis extends to the legal system, with 73% stating that Indian courts are not handling corruption cases effectively.

The profound lack of faith in domestic remedies has led citizens to consider radical steps. As a direct vote of no-confidence in the domestic judicial system, a large majority of 76% believe Indian corruption crimes should be prosecuted in international courts. Furthermore, the public seeks stronger penalties, with 62% of respondents stating that they do not consider imprisonment a sufficient punishment for corruption crimes.

The “India Corruption Perception Survey 2025” is part of the upcoming “India Corruption Research Report 2025” (ICRR 2025), the fourth annual report in a series. The organization’s related “Law Flaw: India Judicial Research Report 2025” further corroborates the findings regarding judicial distrust.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and anti-corruption activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.

Rakesh Raman  |  LinkedIn  |  Facebook  | Twitter (X)