Corruption Perceptions Index by Country 2024

Transparency International created the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) to highlight levels of corruption in 180 countries. The CPI ranks countries on a scale of corruption with a score of 0 corresponding to the greatest corruption and 100 to the least corrupt. Ideally, countries should have higher scores and less corruption.

The Difficulties of Measuring Corruption

By its nature, corruption involves illegal activity hidden from public view. Therefore, quantifiable values for corruption within countries are not available. However, data on the public perception of a nation's corruption is readily available from independent sources.

The CPI uses this information on how these independent parties view possible corruption in various countries to identify places where corruption likely occurs.

How the CPI Measures Corruption

The CPI uses data from 13 sources that examine the business climates and governing of various countries. These independent sources provide published data on public perceptions of corruption within various countries.

To assess the published data, Transparency International uses a series of research-backed questions to measure the public perception of potential forms of corruption. The CPI can spot corruption in many forms, including bribery, prosecution of corrupt officials, improper use of public funds, ability of governments to contain corruption, and lack of protections for whistleblowers. It does not, however, take surveys of a nation's citizens for their opinions.

Transparency International combines and averages the data from three to 13 of its independent sources for each country to normalize the data and eliminate outlying values. The CPI then ranks the nations based on their scores.

Changes Over Time in the CPI Values

Globally, the CPI has remained stagnant in 2022 with an average for all 180 countries of 43. This score has remained the same for the last ten years, showing reluctance to address corruption concerns. In fact, 155 countries have kept the same scores or dropped since 2012.

Nations with the Greatest CPI Scores in 2023

For 2023, the most recent CPI ranking comes from 2022. That year, Denmark had the highest score of 90. Finland and New Zealand both placed second with equal scores of 87. Norway scored 84, placing it fourth globally, and Singapore and Sweden tied for fifth place with CPI values of 83.

Countries that Have the Lowest CPI Scores in 2023

In 2022, Somalia had the lowest international rank on the CPI, finishing last with a score of 12. South Sudan and Syria both had scores of 13 to tie for 178th place.