Transparency International's latest corruption perceptions index
Published: February 10, 2021
Europe remains the least corrupt region in the world, according to Transparency International's latest report.
The report only measures perceived corruption in the public sector and not the actual underlying corruption, but should still be seen as a reasonable estimate of the situation in the world. Furthermore, the figures are produced annually and with the same model, which means that the general development can be followed quite well.
New Zealand and Denmark are at the top, while Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Singapore share third place. The Nordic region is generally well placed in the survey, although this blog has previously pointed to a partially inflated self-image in Sweden. In addition, the Nordic countries have societies with large public sectors, which in itself tends to increase the risks of corruption.
Seen over a few years, the development has gone in the wrong direction in Hungary, Poland and Malta, among others, while Italy, Estonia and Greece stand out as positive examples in Europe.