Denmark, Finland and Singapore are the least corrupt nations, Transparency International finds in its annual index, while South Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela are at the other end of the spectrum.
The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index on Tuesday put Denmark atop the rankings for the seventh year in a row, with a score of 90 out of 100. Rounding out the top 10 were Finland, 88, Singapore, 83, New Zealand, 83, Luxembourg, Norway and Switzerland, 81, Sweden, 80, the Netherlands, 78, and Australia, Iceland and Ireland, 77.
The lowest scorers were South Sudan, 8, Somalia, 9, Venezuela, 10, Syria, 12, Equatorial Guinea, 13, Eritrea, 13, Libya, 13, Yemen, 13, Nicaragua, 14, Sudan, 15, and North Korea, 15.
Thirteen data sources, including the World Bank and World Economic Forum, are use to rank perceived risks toward 180 countries and territories. More than two-thirds of the countries scored below 50, indicating serious corruption levels globally, and the global average remained at 43.
Nations with strong, independent institutions and free, fair elections have an average score of 73, according to the index, compared with "flawed democracies" which average 47 and repressive authoritarian regimes that come in at just 33.
"Although some non-democratic countries might be perceived as managing certain forms of corruption, the broader picture shows that democracy and strong institutions are crucial for combatting corruption fully and effectively," it says.
Thirty-two countries, such as Kuwait, Moldova and Uruguay, significantly improved their scores since 2012. But 47 countries, including Russia and the United States, showed significant losses in that timeframe.
The Berlin-based international organization also emphasizes in this year's index how public corruption hinders global climate action. Corruption and a lack of transparency threaten the funding allocated to mitigate and adapt to rising temperatures, it says, by diverting them from their intended purpose.
"It is imperative that urgent action is taken to root out corruption so that meaningful climate action is not undermined by undue influence, theft and misuse of funds," said Transparency International's CEO Maíra Martini.
"Governments and multilateral organizations must integrate anti-corruption measures into climate efforts in order to safeguard climate finance and reestablish trust in climate initiatives," she said. "This will strengthen the resilience and impact of climate action."
