The problem of corruption in government bodies and state structures is relevant for many states. To date, several effective mechanisms have been developed to control and counteract the abuse of authority in order to obtain benefits, bribe officials and other actions that are contrary to law and moral standards, however, the use of anti-corruption methods in practice does not always bring the proper result.
However, there are many countries with a fairly low level of corruption. The most corrupt states and countries where there is virtually no corruption in the public sector are represented in the ranking of the corruption perception index. Assessment of the level of state corruption, compilation and publication of relevant material is carried out by the non-governmental organization Transparency International. She is based in Berlin.
How is the corruption perception index calculated
The indicators on the basis of which the rating of states is formed by the level of perception of corruption are based on several independent surveys. Corruption Perception Index (CPI - for short) is based on the opinion of reputable experts in the field of finance and law. Specialists from the World Bank, the African and Asian Development Banks, the American non-governmental organization Freedom House, which studies civil and political freedoms, as well as monitors democratic changes in the world, take part in the rating.
The corruption perception index is a kind of scale of “honesty of the authorities”. Each state that participates in the study is assigned a score from zero to one hundred points, where a zero indicator indicates the maximum level of corruption, and the least corrupt countries receive one hundred points. Previously, the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index was ranked between one and ten.
In open sources, specific factors for assessing states are not published, so you can only get acquainted with the final rating. In addition, there is no universal methodology for calculating the indicator, because the final assessment, according to the TI organization, takes into account the national characteristics of a state.
Ranking countries by corruption perception index
The rating for such an indicator as the corruption perception index in 2016 included one hundred seventy-six states. Published data ranking states are used to assess the level of progress in combating corruption, as well as the position of a particular country in relation to neighboring states, political and economic partners and competitors.
Least Corrupt Countries According to TI
Corruption perception index is highest (ninety points) in the Scandinavian countries, New Zealand, Switzerland. Denmark is in first place, followed by New Zealand, Finland in third, followed by Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Singapore, and the Netherlands. Great Britain closes the top ten with a final score of eighty-one points.
The twenty-first index of corruption perception, published at the end of January 2017, differs little from previous years in leading countries. In general, positions in the ranking rarely change radically.
Corruption in Russia according to Transparency International
For Russia, the corruption perception index has been calculated since 1996, when the rating was formed from fifty-four countries. Then the Russian Federation was in the forty-sixth - forty-seventh place with a score of two point sixty-tenths. The dynamics of the indicator is not marked by rapid ups or downs. Unless there is a jump at the borders of 2000 and 2001, when the indicator from two integers and one tenth of a point rose to two whole and seven tenths.
The minimum corruption perception index (according to the rating up to 2014), which is two integers and one tenth of a point, was recorded in 2000, 2008, 2010. The maximum value (two integers and eight tenths) was reached by the indicator in 2004, 2012 and 2013. India, Honduras, Ecuador, Mozambique, Georgia, The Gambia, Nepal, Albania, Niger and others had the same values in different years.
TI press releases note that the situation with corruption in Russia has reached such an alarming level that it affects not only the state apparatus, but also the spheres of healthcare, education, law enforcement agencies, the economy, as well as the statehood of the Russian Federation itself.
In 2017, the corruption perception index (Russia did not change its position) was calculated for one hundred seventy-six countries. The Russian Federation is located on one hundred thirty-first place with a score of twenty-nine points out of a possible hundred.
Rule of Law Index according to World Justice Project
According to a study of the rule of law conducted by the World Justice Project, Russia ranked ninety-second out of ninety-seven states. The worst situation is with the safety and efficiency of law enforcement, as well as the effectiveness of limiting the authority of the authorities. Not in the best tones, the situation seems to be on the following factors:
- protection of human rights (eighty-third place);
- criminal proceedings (seventy-eighth place);
- government openness (seventy-fourth place);
- level of corruption (seventy first place);
- law enforcement (sixty-eighth place);
- civil proceedings (sixty-fifth place).
Place of post-Soviet states in the ranking of corruption
The corruption perception index was also calculated for post-Soviet countries . So, Ukraine got twenty-nine points and took one hundred thirty-first place out of a possible one hundred seventy-six, Belarus - seventy-ninth place (forty points), Kazakhstan - one hundred thirty first place (twenty nine points), Moldova - one hundred twenty third place (thirty points) ), Uzbekistan - one hundred fifty sixth place (twenty one point), Turkmenistan - one hundred fifty fourth place (twenty two points), Tajikistan - one hundred fifty first place (twenty five points).
The most corrupt states
The TI rating ranks among the most corrupt states of Somalia, South Sudan, North Korea, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Afghanistan. In general, the countries of Africa and Asia were at the margins of the rating. Among the European states, Bosnia and Herzegovina (eighty-third place and thirty-nine points), Albania (eighty-third place, also thirty-nine points), Bulgaria (seventy-fifth place and forty-one points) are at the lowest positions.
In states with a high level of corruption, the use of official position, abuse of authority and bribery are the norm not only in all power structures, but also in other areas, human rights are often violated, and per capita gross domestic product is extremely low.