The countries with the lowest levels of corruption are held up as pinnacles of good governance. But no nation is immune to dishonest dealings, as revealed by Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, assigning each a score between zero (highly corrupt) and 100 (very clean).
Worryingly, a number of countries – including the UK, Germany, and New Zealand – have tumbled down the rankings in the latest edition of the CPI.
Franco Francisco Maria/Shutterstock
Norway's score (84) also remains unchanged from the previous CPI. That said, its current rating is down from 88 in 2015 and 85 in 2021.
Over the past few years, the country has been rocked by a wave of political conflict of interest scandals. A number of ministers who have been accused of wrongdoing have resigned, which has chipped away at public trust in the political system.
Stargrass/Shutterstock
Two points have been deducted from New Zealand's score in the latest index, which continues its downward trend from 2021 when it scored 88. New Zealand has dropped a place down the rankings, too.
According to Transparency International, the nation's halo is being tarnished by a lack of confidence from the business community when it comes to the integrity of public contracting, taxation, and trade opportunities.
M Ramírez/Alamy
Finland has maintained its previous score in the latest CPI, although its current rating is still three points below the peak of 90 it recorded in 2012.
Finland's Ministry of Justice recently reinforced the country's already extensive anti-graft efforts with the launch of its first anti-corruption strategy. But while incidences of corruption are generally very low in the country, dubious dealings still occur, particularly in relation to structural corruption using unofficial social networks and the misuse of insider information, according to the Global Organized Crime Index.
NGCHIYUI/Shutterstock
Denmark's score remains unchanged from the previous CPI, topping the list with 90 points. The nation may be the world's least corrupt country and should be feted for its integrity, although that doesn't mean Denmark is entirely squeaky clean.
In March 2023, the OECD Working Group on Bribery called for the Nordic nation to urgently step up its efforts to fight foreign bribery, which the group deemed woefully insufficient. Whether change will happen or not remains to be seen...
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/where-uk-ranks-corruption-compared-122200211.html
The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, assigning each a score between zero (highly corrupt) and 100 (very clean).
Worryingly, a number of countries – including the UK, Germany, and New Zealand – have tumbled down the rankings in the latest edition of the CPI.
4th least corrupt – Norway, CPI score: 84
Franco Francisco Maria/Shutterstock
Norway's score (84) also remains unchanged from the previous CPI. That said, its current rating is down from 88 in 2015 and 85 in 2021.
Over the past few years, the country has been rocked by a wave of political conflict of interest scandals. A number of ministers who have been accused of wrongdoing have resigned, which has chipped away at public trust in the political system.
3rd least corrupt – New Zealand, CPI score 85
Stargrass/Shutterstock
Two points have been deducted from New Zealand's score in the latest index, which continues its downward trend from 2021 when it scored 88. New Zealand has dropped a place down the rankings, too.
According to Transparency International, the nation's halo is being tarnished by a lack of confidence from the business community when it comes to the integrity of public contracting, taxation, and trade opportunities.
2nd least corrupt – Finland, CPI score: 87
M Ramírez/Alamy
Finland has maintained its previous score in the latest CPI, although its current rating is still three points below the peak of 90 it recorded in 2012.
Finland's Ministry of Justice recently reinforced the country's already extensive anti-graft efforts with the launch of its first anti-corruption strategy. But while incidences of corruption are generally very low in the country, dubious dealings still occur, particularly in relation to structural corruption using unofficial social networks and the misuse of insider information, according to the Global Organized Crime Index.
Least corrupt – Denmark, CPI score: 90
NGCHIYUI/Shutterstock
Denmark's score remains unchanged from the previous CPI, topping the list with 90 points. The nation may be the world's least corrupt country and should be feted for its integrity, although that doesn't mean Denmark is entirely squeaky clean.
In March 2023, the OECD Working Group on Bribery called for the Nordic nation to urgently step up its efforts to fight foreign bribery, which the group deemed woefully insufficient. Whether change will happen or not remains to be seen...
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/where-uk-ranks-corruption-compared-122200211.html
