Corruption is defined as dishonest or fraudulent behavior by someone in power. When talking about corruption in nations, the government or other national leaders are corrupt, taking bribes, engaging in fraud, and being dishonest with the people of the nation. Unfortunately, corruption is relatively more common in low-income countries.
This is an unfortunate reality in many nations around the world. While there isn’t an exact way to measure corruption in a nation, several studies, reports, and other data can be used to determine where corruption is most and least prevalent.
One of the best measures of corruption around the world is the Corruption Perceptions Index, which is published by Transparency International. As of November 2018, the latest report was published based on data from 2017. In this report, 180 countries were ranked and given a score out of 100 points. The nations that scored the highest were deemed the least corrupt.
At the top of the list is New Zealand and Denmark, which both received a score of 87 out of 100. Finland follows with 86, and then Switzerland, Sweden, and Singapore are tied with a score of 85.
Other nations that were ranked as the least corrupt are: