Corrupt officials and functionaries at all levels of government continue to rob the citizens of countries around the globe of stability, security and basic freedoms.
A new study by the Berlin-based watchdog Transparency International finds most nations fall far short in stemming corruption and 95% of countries made little to no progress in the last five years.
Not surprisingly, unstable and war-torn nations like Syria, South Sudan and Somalia are the most venal, according to Transparency International’s research, reported Tuesday in the group’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index, or CPI.
A trio of stable and affluent democracies – Denmark, Finland and New Zealand – top the index as the most honest with scores at or near 90. Rounding out the top 10 spots, with scores ranging from 84 to 77, are Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland and Luxembourg (tied).
On the flip side, the index says the top 10 most corrupt nations are a mix of conflict-ridden and authoritarian regimes in Somalia, Syria, South Sudan, Venezuela, Yemen, Libya, North Korea, Haiti, Equatorial Guinea and Burundi.
The CPI, which has been compiled since 1995, ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). For the 11th year in a row, the global average remained unchanged at 43. More than two-thirds of the world’s countries have a serious corruption problem with scores coming in below 50.
The index is based on 13 data sources from organizations such as the African Development Bank, Freedom House, World Bank and World Economic Forum.
The #CPI2022 reveals that 124 countries have stagnant corruption levels, while the number of countries in decline is increasing.
— Transparency International (@anticorruption) January 31, 2023
This has the most serious consequences, as global peace is deteriorating & corruption is both a key cause and result of this. https://t.co/DHUQQhzH9T
Invasion of Ukraine fuels corruption
Transparency International points to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia (with a CPI of 28) as a “stark reminder” of the threat that corruption and a lack of government accountability pose for global peace and security. Russian kleptocrats are amassing huge fortunes by pledging loyalty to President Vladimir Putin in exchange for profitable government contracts and protection of their economic interests.
“The absence of any checks on Putin’s power allowed him to pursue his geopolitical ambitions with impunity. This attack destabilized the European continent, threatening democracy and killing tens of thousands,” the organization says.
For Brazil, with a CPI of 38, a combination of corruption, authoritarianism and an economic downturn has proved especially volatile. Under its former president Jair Bolsonaro, the country experienced the dismantling of anti-corruption frameworks and the use of corrupt schemes to favor political allies and amass political support.
After Bolsonaro lost his re-election bid, radical supporters – in what seemed a replay of the riot at the U.S. Capitol after the defeat of Donald Trump – stormed its National Congress, Supreme Court and presidential palace, threatening the lives of police and reporters and vandalizing government buildings.
Corruption in U.S. courts, voting rights
The United States (69) continues to struggle with perceptions of corruption given its failure to ensure voting rights for all citizens, the apparent politicization of its Supreme Court and a divide over the rioters who attacked Congress in their failed violent effort to overturn Trump’s 2022 election defeat.
Transparency International also calls out the U.S. for failing to rein in investment advisers and money managers who allegedly operate without adequate oversight regarding money laundering and thus facilitate international corruption.
Defense sector opens door to corruption
The report notes that even where there are strong measures against corruption in place, the defense sector often remains secretive and opens the door for undue influence and other forms of corruption.
It says this is particularly troubling as many governments prepare to ramp up their military spending in response to emerging threats and the war in Ukraine.
“Corruption has made our world a more dangerous place,” said Delia Ferreira Rubio, chair of Transparency International. “As governments have collectively failed to make progress against it, they fuel the current rise in violence and conflict _ and endanger people everywhere.”
Rubio called on governments to root out corruption and ensure that governments work for all, “not just an elite few.”
