World’s most corrupt countries: What is India’s rank? Denmark least corrupt
The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories worldwide by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean)
Denmark is the least corrupt country in the world followed by Finland and Singapore while South Sudan is the most corrupt nation, according to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International. It has also revealed India’s rank.
Also read: India slides from 85 to 93 on Corruption Index
The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories worldwide by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
India slides to 96th rank
In the 2024 rankings, Denmark is the least corrupt country, occupying the top rank with a score of 90 out of 100. At the second place is Finland (88), followed by Singapore (84), New Zealand (83) and Luxembourg (81).
India has fallen from 93rd in 2023 to be ranked joint 96th with a score of 38 along with Gambia and Maldives. India’s neighbours Pakistan is ranked 135th (27), Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are at 151 (21).
In 2023, India’s score was 39 and this time there is a change of minus 1. From 2020 to 2022, the score was 40.
‘Corruption is a dangerous problem’
South Sudan is the most corrupt country as per the index, with a score of just 8. It is ranked 180th and last in the table. Syria (12), Venezuela (10), and Somalia (9) are in the bottom four of the rankings at 177, 178 and 179 respectively.
The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index stated that corruption is a “dangerous problem” in every part of the world, but change for the better is happening in many countries.
“Research also reveals that corruption is a major threat to climate action. It hinders progress in reducing emissions and adapting to the unavoidable effects of global heating,” CPI added.
How is a country’s corruption index score calculated?
“Each country’s score is a combination of at least 3 data sources drawn from 13 different corruption surveys and assessments. These data sources are collected by a variety of reputable institutions, including the World Bank and the World Economic Forum,” CPI said.
As per the report, 32 countries have significantly reduced their corruption levels since 2012.
“There’s still a huge amount of work to be done – 148 countries have stayed stagnant or gotten worse during the same period. The global average of 43 has also stood still for years, while over two-thirds of countries score below 50. Billions of people live in countries where corruption destroys lives and undermines human rights,” it stated.
‘Extensive corruption in Eastern Europe and Central Asia’
“Extensive corruption continues to plague Eastern Europe and Central Asia,” CPI said.
It slammed Russia as the country is ranked 154th with a score of 22. “Entrenched corruption and weakening democratic institutions in the region can frequently be attributed to the dismantling of critical checks and balances. Russia (22) has seen its position continue to drop, as it used its invasion of Ukraine to further entrench authoritarianism, with the state suppressing dissent, redirecting resources to sustain its military agenda, and eliminating independent voices.”
“Corruption is an evolving global threat that does far more than undermine development – it is a key cause of declining democracy, instability and human rights violations. The international community and every nation must make tackling corruption a top and long-term priority.
“This is crucial to pushing back against authoritarianism and securing a peaceful, free and sustainable world. The dangerous trends revealed in this year's Corruption Perceptions Index highlight the need to follow through with concrete action now to address global corruption,” Francois Valerian, Chair of Transparency International, said.