Survey: Denmark, Finland are world's least and Myanmar, Somalia are world's most corrupt countries

September 29, 2007

An annual survey by Transparency International (TI) of Berlin, Germany has shown Denmark and Finland to be the world's least corrupt countries, while the most corrupt are Myanmar and Somalia.

The annual Corruption Perceptions Index listed 180 different countries. The findings were presented by TI chairman Hansjoerg Elshorst, who pointed out that the survey represented the "general perception of corruption and the fight against corruption". He also commented on the fact that five of the ten highest-ranking nations were Nordic - Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Norway all ranked highly. He said the main reason they did so well was that they all had highly transparent administrative systems. In addition to two Nordic countries, New Zealand was also ranked joint first. All three received ratings of 9.4 out of ten. Myanmar and Somalia both received 1.4 ratings.

Meanwhile, Croatia, Macedonia, and the Czech Republic all were commended for marked improvements in their anti-corruption efforts. Some other selected results are Singapore at joint fourth with Sweden, the United Kingdom in 12th place, Germany in 16th place, France at 19th, the United States at 20, China at 72nd and Russia at 143rd. The difference between Finland and Russia, which is rated at 2.4, is so abrupt that it is thought that the Finland-Russia border is the most sudden change of corruption levels in the world, worse than the infamous US-Mexico border.

Elshorst went on to demand higher levels of international efforts to combat corruption and for Germany's ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption.