According to the recently released Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2022, Denmark was the least corrupt country in the world for the fifth year in a row, and the United States improved its score for the first time since 2016.
Berlin-based anti-corruption advocacy group Annual analysis on a scale of 0 (very corrupt) to 100 (very clean), the public perception of corruption showed no change at the top of the rankings. However, the organization found that the global average score of 43 has not changed in over a decade, while two-thirds of the countries have scores below 50.
A string of ethics scandals has left the UK out of the top 12 for the first time since at least 2012, but has allowed other developed countries to stagnate in the fight against public corruption, the organization said. Other traditionally high-scoring nations, such as Australia, Austria, Canada and Luxembourg, also saw their scores drop.
Somalia was the lowest-scoring country, followed by Syria and South Sudan due to conflict and restrictions on basic personal and political freedoms.
“Corruption makes our world a more dangerous place,” said Delia Ferreira Rubio, president of Transparency International. The only solution is to ensure that governments work for all people, not just the elite few. It’s about eradicating corruption in the United States and working hard for the state.”
