Many countries are marking their worst ranking in the last decade in the annual Corruption Perceptions Index, published by the non-governmental organization Transparency International, reports the Associated Press, quoted by BTA.
They include both major economies such as the United States and France, as well as countries with deep corruption problems such as Russia and Venezuela.
According to the report, 47 of the 180 countries surveyed recorded their worst anti-corruption scores since the organization introduced the current rating methodology in 2012.
"Corruption levels around the world remain alarmingly high, while efforts to combat it are weakening," Transparency International warns.
The index measures perceptions of corruption in the public sector based on data from 13 sources, including the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and international consulting firms. Countries are given a score from 0 to 100, with 0 meaning "extremely corrupt" and 100 – “very clean“.
The average global score remains unchanged from 2023 – 43 points. Over two-thirds of countries scored below 50, signaling serious corruption problems worldwide.
The best performer and again in first place is Denmark with 90 points. It is followed by Finland with 88 points and Singapore with 84.
At the bottom of the ranking are Venezuela (10 points), Somalia (9 points) and South Sudan (8 points) – countries that are traditionally among the most corrupt according to the index.
The United States, France and Bulgaria lose positions
The United States has dropped from 24th to 28th place, with its score dropping from 69 to 65 points.
France also reports a deterioration - from 20th place with 71 points last year, it is now 25th with 67 points.
Bulgaria registers a serious decline - from 67th place with 45 points in 2023 to 76th place with 43 points in this year's ranking.