China Reports Surge in Corruption Prosecutions in 2025 Despite Years of Anti-Corruption Campaigns

About 29,000 corruption cases were prosecuted last year, raising questions about the effectiveness of Beijing’s long-running anti-corruption drive.
China Reports Surge in Corruption Prosecutions in 2025 Despite Years of Anti-Corruption Campaigns
A policeman stands near a row of surveillance cameras in front of the Beijing No. 2 People's Intermediate Court in Beijing on March 31, 2022. Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images
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China’s top prosecutorial authority reported a sharp rise in corruption prosecutions in 2025, a trend observers say highlights the persistence of systemic corruption despite more than a decade of anti-corruption campaigns by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

According to the 2025 work report released by China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate on March 10, about 29,000 people were prosecuted with duty-related corruption in 2025, including 44 officials at the provincial or ministerial level.