CORRUPTION INDEX 2011 FROM TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL: FIND OUT HOW COUNTRIES COMPARE
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/dec/01/corruption-index-2011-tr ansparency-international
File photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang Corruption
index 2011 from Transparency International: North Korean leader Kim
Jong-il's country is seen as the most corrupt in the world.
Corruption around the world remains a deeply entrenched, global
concern according to Transparency International's 2011 Corruption
Perceptions Index (CPI) - the world's most credible measure of of
domestic, public sector corruption.
This year, two thirds of countries covered by the index were given
scores less than 5 - which means they are considered significantly
corrupt.
The CPI scores countries on a scale of zero to 10, with zero indicating
high levels of corruption and 10, low levels. And the most corrupt
places in the world are not the most surprising. Unstable governments,
often with a legacy of conflict, continue to dominate the bottom
rungs of the CPI. Afghanistan and Myanmar share second to last place
with a score of 1.5, with Somalia and North Korea - measured for the
first time - coming in last with a score of 1.
World corruption index interactive map World corruption index
interactive map. Click image to explore it
The world's most peaceful countries score the best. In the 2011 CPI,
New Zealand is top with a score of 9.5, followed by Denmark, Finland,
Sweden and Singapore.
Four countries and territories besides North Korea are included for
the first time: the Bahamas, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines,
and Suriname.
Transparency International (TI) chair Huguette Labelle says corruption
remains a major global issue, highlighted by widespread demonstrations
in 2011: "This year we have seen corruption on protestor's banners be
they rich or poor. Whether in a Europe hit by debt crisis or an Arab
world starting a new political era, leaders must head the demands
for better government."
Wealth seems no easy antidote to corruption: some relatively rich
countries, including Russia, fall at the bottom of the global league
table. Meanwhile, some of the world's poorer states do comparatively
well: Botswana, Bhutan, Cape Verde, and Rwanda all appear among the 50
"cleanest" countries.
While the index has been published annually since 1995, TI warns
against comparing scores over time, as sources for the index change
each year. However, the Berlin-based NGO notes that two general
trends pop out regardless: Arab Spring countries, and many Eurozone
countries - particularly those affected by the financial crisis -
are doing worse and worse.
Most Arab Spring countries rank in the lower half of the index,
with scores below 4. Many of the lowest-scoring European countries
are those hardest hit by the financial and debt crises - including
Greece and Italy.
The UK ranks 16th, along with Austria and the Barbados, and just
ahead of Belgium and Ireland. The US ranks 24th.
The Index, which is closely watched by investors, economists, and
civil society campaigners, is based on expert assessments and data
from 17 surveys from 13 independent institutions, covering issues such
as access to information, bribery of public officials, kickbacks in
public procurement, and the enforcement of anti-corruption laws.
While critics note that measuring perceptions of corruption is not the
same as measuring corruption itself, the latter is almost impossible
to do - as the corrupt are usually keen to cover up their tracks,
hard data on graft and bribery is notoriously difficult to come by.
We've got the full data below. What can you do with it?
DATA SUMMARY
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL WORLD CORRUPTION INDEX (1=LEAST CORRUPT)
Click heading to sort table. Download this data
2011 rank Country / Territory CPI 2011 Score CPI 2010 Score CPI 2009
Score CPI 2008 Score
SOURCE: Transparency International
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/dec/01/corruption-index-2011-tr ansparency-international
File photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang Corruption
index 2011 from Transparency International: North Korean leader Kim
Jong-il's country is seen as the most corrupt in the world.
Corruption around the world remains a deeply entrenched, global
concern according to Transparency International's 2011 Corruption
Perceptions Index (CPI) - the world's most credible measure of of
domestic, public sector corruption.
This year, two thirds of countries covered by the index were given
scores less than 5 - which means they are considered significantly
corrupt.
The CPI scores countries on a scale of zero to 10, with zero indicating
high levels of corruption and 10, low levels. And the most corrupt
places in the world are not the most surprising. Unstable governments,
often with a legacy of conflict, continue to dominate the bottom
rungs of the CPI. Afghanistan and Myanmar share second to last place
with a score of 1.5, with Somalia and North Korea - measured for the
first time - coming in last with a score of 1.
World corruption index interactive map World corruption index
interactive map. Click image to explore it
The world's most peaceful countries score the best. In the 2011 CPI,
New Zealand is top with a score of 9.5, followed by Denmark, Finland,
Sweden and Singapore.
Four countries and territories besides North Korea are included for
the first time: the Bahamas, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines,
and Suriname.
Transparency International (TI) chair Huguette Labelle says corruption
remains a major global issue, highlighted by widespread demonstrations
in 2011: "This year we have seen corruption on protestor's banners be
they rich or poor. Whether in a Europe hit by debt crisis or an Arab
world starting a new political era, leaders must head the demands
for better government."
Wealth seems no easy antidote to corruption: some relatively rich
countries, including Russia, fall at the bottom of the global league
table. Meanwhile, some of the world's poorer states do comparatively
well: Botswana, Bhutan, Cape Verde, and Rwanda all appear among the 50
"cleanest" countries.
While the index has been published annually since 1995, TI warns
against comparing scores over time, as sources for the index change
each year. However, the Berlin-based NGO notes that two general
trends pop out regardless: Arab Spring countries, and many Eurozone
countries - particularly those affected by the financial crisis -
are doing worse and worse.
Most Arab Spring countries rank in the lower half of the index,
with scores below 4. Many of the lowest-scoring European countries
are those hardest hit by the financial and debt crises - including
Greece and Italy.
The UK ranks 16th, along with Austria and the Barbados, and just
ahead of Belgium and Ireland. The US ranks 24th.
The Index, which is closely watched by investors, economists, and
civil society campaigners, is based on expert assessments and data
from 17 surveys from 13 independent institutions, covering issues such
as access to information, bribery of public officials, kickbacks in
public procurement, and the enforcement of anti-corruption laws.
While critics note that measuring perceptions of corruption is not the
same as measuring corruption itself, the latter is almost impossible
to do - as the corrupt are usually keen to cover up their tracks,
hard data on graft and bribery is notoriously difficult to come by.
We've got the full data below. What can you do with it?
DATA SUMMARY
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL WORLD CORRUPTION INDEX (1=LEAST CORRUPT)
Click heading to sort table. Download this data
2011 rank Country / Territory CPI 2011 Score CPI 2010 Score CPI 2009
Score CPI 2008 Score
SOURCE: Transparency International