Transparency International releases 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index: Denmark tops the ranking, UK hits historically low score

Transparency International has released the 2023 edition of its Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks 180 countries and territories based on their perceived levels of public sector corruption, on a scale from 100 (very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt) using data from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, think tanks and others. 

Denmark continues to lead the ranking as most clean for the sixth consecutive year, with a CPI score of 90. Finland and New Zealand closely follow with CPI scores of 87 and 85, respectively. On the other end of the spectrum, Somalia, Venezuela, Syria, and South Sudan rank at the bottom of the CPI.

Notable democracies such as Sweden (CPI 82), the Netherlands (CPI 79), and the UK (CPI score of 71) recorded their lowest ever scores in the CPI. The UK dropped two places to 20th in the ranking, its lowest position since 2012. The United States maintained its rank of 24th with a CPI score of 69.

The report highlights that over two-thirds of countries scored below 50 out of 100, indicating serious corruption issues. The global average remains stagnant at 43, and many countries have not shown improvement or have even declined in the past decade. Additionally, 23 countries reached their lowest scores to date in this year's CPI.

In terms of the biggest movers and shakers since 2022, Egypt experienced the greatest increase in CPI score, rising by five points to reach a CPI of 35. Cabo Verde, Kuwait, and Zambia also saw notable increases of four points each. On the other hand, Afghanistan and Tajikistan experienced the greatest decrease in CPI score, both dropping by four points to a CPI of 20. Several other countries, including Georgia, Greece, China, Cuba, Peru, Laos, and Myanmar, experienced decreases of three points.

For more detailed information, please refer to the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2023 report, by clicking here. 

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