The latest Corruption Index published by Tranparency International ranks 159 countries by the level of perceived corruption and reveals a world still struggling with the twin axes of evil that are corruption and poverty.
Not surprisingly, the majority of the world's most corrupt countries featured in the report are the world's poorest nations such as Chad and Bangladesh, who came in joint last place of the 159 countries covered, Nigeria came in 154th, Kenya, Pakistan and Paraguay were amongst a group of countries in 144th spot with Iraq and Indonesia amongst a group tieing for 137th.
Venezuela is the next South American country to feature in the list, grouped with the likes of Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan and Papua New Guinea followed by Russia and Albania at 126.
At the other end of the table, the "good" end if you will, Iceland takes the title of world's least corrupt nation, closely followed by Finland, New Zealand, Denmark and Singapore.
Other notable rankings which may surprise many include the United Kingdom at joint 11th with The Netherlands, Canada are 14th with Germany 16th, one spot ahead of the United States, who just push France into 18th. The "Top 20" is completed by Belgium and Ireland with Chile taking the least corrupt in Latin America title in a tie with Japan for 21. Spain comes in at 23 with a rating of exactly 7 out of 10, most of which is real estate related.
A score of 5 or less is seen as indicating serious corruption problems and almost 120 countries failed to reach this minimum standard, with more than a hundred scoring less than 3, pointing to rampant corruption in both the private and public sectors.
To mark the publication this month of the report, “Corruption is a major cause of poverty as well as a barrier to overcoming it,” said Transparency International Chairman Peter Eigen. “The two scourges feed off each other, locking their populations in a cycle of misery. Corruption must be vigorously addressed if aid is to make a real difference in freeing people from poverty.”
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Matthew T. Sussman
Time for me to start my corruption ring in Iceland.
2 - alienboy
Seems like the best place for it.
3 - Dave Nalle
Except that all icelanders are descended from the same 32 genetic ancestors and are psychically linked so that they will immediately know if you try to corrupt one of them.
Dave
4 - alienboy
We shall use Bjork as a trojan norse.
5 - ellen
Many thanks for doing this. Where's Bhutan?
6 - Matthew T. Sussman
What should my corruption ring entail?
7 - alienboy
Ellen, Bhutan didn't feature in the list so I guess it's ranking will have to wait for next time. Nice flag though!
Matthew - corruption is a personal thing, you'll find your own...
8 - steve
how could iceland be the least corrupt? just look at em! the lie starts with their name!
9 - alienboy
er, Steve, I don't know how to tell you this but there is ice in Iceland!
10 - Phillip Winn
The question that I've been pondering ever since reading this (okay, off and on) is: which comes first, the poverty or the corruption?
Clearly the corruption is an obstacle to eliminating poverty, and I'm not trying to excuse anybody. I'm just curious.
11 - Frank Alcaide
I'm surprised if why Philippines is not the number ONE most corrupt nation. Did you get all the facts about this country?
12 - Christopher Rose
You can read the reports for yourself, Frank. Have you had personal experience of corruption in the Philippines?
13 - Cindy D
Wow an article by Christopher Rose. I wonder if the stats have changed since 2005.
14 - Christopher Rose
Hi Cindy, Happy New Year to you!
Yes, I do write articles from time to time, although not as frequently as I would like, either for Blogcritics (and, if you'll forgive the immodesty, here is a list of all my BC articles to date) or for my own little online magazine, Eurocritics.
Transparency International publishes its Corruption Index every year so I am sure there have been some changes over the last three years.
15 - STM
I can see where Frank's driving at though Rosey ... The Philippines is known in this region for its corruption.
Nice, but corrupt.
16 - Christopher Rose
I just looked at last year's index of corruption and the Philippines is joint 141st with Cameroon, Iran and Yemen.
Your lot are in an impressive 9th place, Stan, whilst the USA is now down to 18th and the UK is in 16th place, down five places from three years ago.
17 - Cindy D
Hi Big C,
(Think about it for a moment and you'll get it.)
Happy New Year :-)
I went to Eurocritics a while back. I just went and have to say I love Dr.D's column.
What a nice layout. Very pleasing.
Thanks for your articles. I'll have a look.
18 - Christopher Rose
So you think I'm fat, is that it? ;-)
19 - Cindy D
LOL! :-)
20 - Cindy D
BTW I find it hard to imagine a woman who fears that a man walking is in such danger that she needs to rescue him. In FRESNO!
No. I think Dr.D is too modest to recognize the real intention.
21 - STM
What worries me most about Rosey's site is that he and Doc could be brothers judging by their photos.
Except they're not of course ... I know Doc's last name (don't worry DD, I'm sworn to secrecy :) and it's not a Rose by any other name.
I think my lot might have come in a bit further down the list a decade or so back Chris when we were having a Royal Commission into Police Corruption in NSW. Pretty hard-core stuff, some of what they uncovered.
Some of it wasn't, either ... but the good people always get swept along with the bad, eh? There were plenty of nice little rings around back then.
But then this IS a place where Rum used to be the main currency, and where what doubled as the police 200 years back was known as the "Rum Corps". Easy to drink your paypacket away ... and not much changed for a while there.
22 - Christopher Rose
The Doc, like me, is a happily married man, so I'm sure that never even crossed his mind, Cindy!
Stan, as my photo over at Eurocritics is of a robot, I was a bit confused by your comment about the Doc and I looking alike until I realised you meant my pic here and his there!
23 - Jet
Is STM a reincarnated STN who just mistyped his handle?
24 - Christopher Rose
Jet, I have no idea at all what that means.
25 - Jet
#21 appears to be from Stan, but says STM