2011 – a crisis in governance
Protests that marked 2011 show anger at corruption in politics and public sector
Berlin, 1 December 2011 – Corruption continues to
plague too many countries around the world, according to Transparency
International’s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index released today. It
shows some governments failing to protect citizens from corruption, be
it abuse of public resources, bribery or secretive decision-making.
Transparency International warned that protests around the world, often
fuelled by corruption and economic instability, clearly show citizens
feel their leaders and public institutions are neither transparent nor
accountable enough. “This year we have seen corruption on protestors’
banners be they rich or poor. Whether
in a Europe hit by debt crisis or an Arab world starting a new political
era, leaders must heed the demands for better government,” said
Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International.
Corruption Perceptions Index 2011: The results The index scores 183
countries and territories from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean) based on perceived levels of public sector corruption. It uses data from
17 surveys that look at factors such as enforcement of anti-corruption
laws, access to information and conflicts of interest.
Two thirds of ranked countries score less than 5.
New Zealand ranks first, followed by Finland and Denmark. Somalia and North Korea (included in the index for the first time), are last.
“2011 saw the movement for greater transparency take on irresistible momentum, as citizens around the world demand accountability from their governments. High-scoring countries show that over time efforts to improve transparency can, if sustained, be successful and benefit their people,” said Transparency International Managing Director, Cobus de Swardt.
Most Arab Spring countries rank in the lower half of the index, scoring
below 4. Before the Arab Spring, a Transparency International report on
the region warned that nepotism, bribery and patronage were so deeply
engrained in daily life that even existing anti-corruption laws had
little impact.
Eurozone countries suffering debt crises, partly because of public authorities’ failure to tackle the bribery and tax evasion that are key drivers of debt crisis, are among the lowest-scoring EU countries.
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Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption Note to editors: The Corruption Perceptions Index is composed from 17 different surveys and assessments. A country’s scores in one year cannot be compared to its score in a previous year. Information on how the index is prepared is available in the FAQ. For the full ranking and regional tables, go to: www.transparency.org/cpi
Media Contact
Thomas Coombes
+49 30 34 38 20 662
Email: press@transparency.org
Annex
Highs and lows Highest scoring country Lowest score country
Americas Canada
Score: 8.7
Rank: 10
Haiti
Score: 1.8
Rank: 175
Asia Pacific New Zealand
Score: 9.5
Rank: 1
Korea (North)
Score: 1.0
Rank: 182
Europe & Central Asia
Denmark
Score: 9.4
Rank: 2
Uzbekistan
Score: 1.6
Rank: 177
Middle East and North Africa
Qatar
Score: 7.2
Rank: 22
Iraq
Score:1.8
Rank: 175
SubSaharan Africa Botswana
Score: 6.1
Rank: 32
Somalia
Score: 1.0
Rank:182
G20 Australia
Score: 8.8
Rank: 8
Russia
Score: 2.4
Rank: 143
OECD New Zealand
Score: 9.5
Rank: 1
Mexico
Score: 3.0
Rank: 100
EU Denmark
Score: 9.4
Rank: 2
Bulgaria
Score: 3.3
Rank: 86
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