More countries dropping down global Corruption Perceptions Index

Of the 176 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index 2016, 69% scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean), exposing how massive and pervasive public sector corruption is around the world, according to transparency International. The index revealed that, this year, more countries declined in the index than improved, showing the need for urgent action. Denmark and New Zealand perform best with scores of 90, closely followed by Finland (89) and Sweden (88). For the tenth year running, Somalia is the worst performer on the index, this year scoring only 10. South Sudan is second to bottom with a score of 11, followed by North Korea (12) and Syria (13). Countries at the bottom of the index are characterised by widespread impunity for corruption, poor governance and weak institutions. Countries in troubled regions, particularly in the Middle East, have seen the most substantial drops this year. Qatar is the biggest decliner compared to the 2015 index with a drop of 10 scores, down to 31st place. “The Fifa scandals, the investigations into the decision to host the World Cup in 2022 in Qatar and reports of human rights abuses for migrant workers have clearly affected the perception of the country,” said José Ugaz, chair of Transparency International. “Corruption and inequality feed off each other,” warned the group, “creating a vicious circle between corruption, unequal distribution of power in society and unequal distribution of wealth. As the Panama Papers showed, it is still far too easy for the rich and powerful to exploit the opaqueness of the global financial system to enrich themselves at the expense of the public good.” Transparency International said people were fed up by too many politicians’ empty assurances to tackle corruption and many were turning towards populist politicians who promise to change the system and break the cycle of corruption and privilege. “In countries with populist or autocratic leaders, we often see democracies in decline and a disturbing pattern of attempts to crack down on civil society, limit press freedom, and weaken the independence of the judiciary. Instead of tackling crony capitalism, those leaders usually install even worse forms of corrupt systems,” said Mr Ugaz. The index scores of Hungary and Turkey – countries that have seen the rise of autocratic leaders – have dropped in recent years. In contrast, the score of Argentina, which has ousted a populist government, is starting to improve. Transparency International said: “What is urgently needed are deep-rooted systemic reforms that even up the growing imbalance of power and wealth by empowering citizens to stop the widespread impunity for corruption, hold the powerful to account and have a real say in the decisions that affect their daily lives. “These reforms must include the disclosure through public registries of who owns companies as well as sanctions for professional enablers who are complicit in moving corrupt money flows across borders.”

More countries dropping down global Corruption Perceptions Index

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