-Reuters
Perceptions
Index for 2013. The index ranks countries around the world by perceived
level of government corruption, with a score of 100 signaling an
absence of official corruption and a score of 0 indicating a country
that is hopelessly corrupt.
Of the 177 countries and
territories listed on the index, less than one-third managed to break
50. As No. 127 Nicaragua would say, that's no bueno. So in what
countries can you trust public officials and what places should you
avoid?
To start, the Nordic countries are a safe bet for
business, with Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway all among the least
corrupt nations. Rounding out the top five are New Zealand, tied for
first with Denmark with a score of 91, and Singapore, tied with Norway
for No. 5.
Here are the 10 least corrupt countries in the world, according to the index:
1. Denmark
2. New Zealand (tied with Denmark for No. 1)
3. Finland
4. Sweden (tied with Finland for No. 3)
5. Norway
6. Singapore (tied with Norway for No. 5) S
7. Switzerland
8. Netherlands
9. Australia
10. Canada (tied with Australia for No. 9)
What of the United States? The world's largest economy sits at No. 19
with a score of 73, while its fellow Anglophones to the north and south,
Canada and Australia, are tied for 9th place with scores of 81. (Both
have dropped since last year. In 2012, Canada scored an 84 and Australia
an 85.) The United Kingdom is ranked No. 14.
Mexico, another
U.S. neighbor, is listed as far more corrupt than Canada, with a score
of 34 ranking it at 106 of 177. (This reporter's own experience suggests
the country's low score is well-deserved.)
At the positively
wretched end of the scale it's no surprise to see Yemen, Sudan, Syria
and other Middle Eastern and African countries. But some of their scores
look almost handsome beside the worst of the lot: Tied for last place
are Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia, all having scored a measly 8
on the index.
Here are the world's 10 most corrupt nations, starting with the worst:
1. Somalia
2. North Korea (tied with Somalia and Afghanistan for No. 175)
3. Afghanistan (tied with North Korea and Somalia for No. 175)
4. Sudan
5. South Sudan
6. Libya
7. Iraq
8. Uzbekistan
9. Turkmenistan (tied with Uzbekistan and Syria for No. 168)
10. Syria (tied with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan for No. 168)
