The Transparency International has published its 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The report shows that corruption levels remain the same globally with 86 percent of nations gaining no feasible headway in the last 10 years. Almost two-thirds of nations performed below expectation as many of them scored below 50 on the 100-point scale this year.
The biggest decays among critical nations found by the review beginning around 2015 incorporate Canada (- 9 points), the United States (- 9 points), Hungary (- 8), Poland (- 8), and Australia (- 6).
Transparency International observed that nations that abuse common freedoms reliably score lower on the Corruption Perceptions Index and rank among the world’s most corrupt nations. According to Transparency International, “Lack of concern in battling debasement fuels denials of basic freedoms and subverts democratic system, setting off an awful trend. As these privileges and opportunities dissolve and a majority rules system decreases, tyranny gains priority, considerably adding to the levels of corruption.”
The CPI ranks 180 nations and regions by their apparent degrees of public sector corruption on a zero scale (exceptionally corrupt) to 100 (extremely spotless). The top nations on the Index this year are Denmark (88), Finland (88) and New Zealand (88), all of which additionally rank in the main 10 percent in the world on the Democracy Index civil liberties score. Somalia (13), Syria (13) and South Sudan (11) stay at the lower part of the CPI with the current year’s least scores and are viewed as among the world’s most corrupt nations. Syria is likewise positioned rearward in civil liberties (Somalia and South Sudan are unrated). 27 nations, including Cyprus (53), Lebanon (24) and Honduras (23), slid to noteworthy lows on the Corruption Perceptions Index this year.
“Human rights are not simply a nice-to-have in the fight against corruption. Authoritarian approaches destroy independent checks and balances and make anti-corruption efforts dependent on the whims of an elite,” said Delia Ferreira Rubio, chair of Transparency International. “Guaranteeing freedom of expression and work collectively to hold power to account is the only sustainable route to a corruption-free society.”
US Slipping
The United States from its highest score of 76 in 2015 scored a 67 on the list, unaltered from last year, however down from its most elevated score of 76 of every 2015. It likewise exited the best Twenty-five nations for the main prong since the Index was reconfigured in 2012, in spite of the endeavors of authorizing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Twenty-five nations have convincingly improved on their scores this year, including Estonia (74), Seychelles (70) and Armenia (49).
The report creators composed: “As anti-corruption efforts stagnate and deteriorate; human rights and democracy are under attack. This is no coincidence. The continued use by governments of the COVID-19 pandemic to erode human rights and democracy could also lead to sharper declines across the globe in the future,”
Some other highlights of the report include:
- The Philippines has continued its fall beginning in 2014 to a score of 33, as President Rodrigo Duterte has cracked down on freedoms of association and expression since his election in 2016. It also has an exceptionally high murder rate of human rights defenders, with 20 killed in 2020.
- In Venezuela, the government of President Nicolás Maduro has repressed dissent of political opponents and journalists. The country has significantly declined on the CPI over the last decade, earning its lowest score yet of 14 in 2021.
- Mali has faced political, institutional and security crises, including three military coups during the past 10 years. Its CPI score has dropped to 29 and its civil liberties score is also declining, as ongoing armed conflict undermines key state functions, leading to a vicious cycle of corruption and human rights abuses.
- Even among democracies, the last decade has seen backsliding on both anti-corruption efforts and human rights. Poland’s civil liberties score declined and its CPI score dropped to 56, as the government cracks down on activists through insult laws and severely limits media freedom.
The 10 Most Corrupt Countries in the World
(According to the CPI Rankings by Transparency International)
1. South Sudan
2. Syria
3. Somalia
4. Venezuela
5. Yemen
6. North Korea
7. Afghanistan
8. Libya
9. Equatorial Guinea
10. Turkmenistan
Demanding Change
Transparency International calls on governments to take proactive steps on their anti-corruption and human rights efforts and for people across the globe to join the train in demanding and getting the needed change.
“In authoritarian contexts where control over government, business and the media rests with a few, social movements remain the last check on power,” said Daniel Eriksson, CEO of Transparency International. “It is the power held by teachers, shopkeepers, students and ordinary people from all walks of life that will ultimately deliver accountability.”
The Index ranks 180 countries and territories around the world based on perceptions of public sector corruption, using data generated from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and consulting companies, think tanks and others.
