Greece's ranking on Transparency International's closely watched Corruption Perception Index (CPI) worsened in 2011, with the country taking joint 80th position out of 183 countries on the list, which was published on Thursday.
Its ranking puts it on a par with El Salvador, Morocco, Peru and Thailand.
Greece scored 3.4 points out of a possible 10, ranking second last amongst the European Union's 27 member-states. Greece's score was better than Bulgaria’s, as the latter scored 3.3 points.
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.
Greece's CPI ranking was 57th in 2008 with 4.7 points, only to fall to 71st place in 2009, with 3.8 points, and 78th with 3.5 points in 2010.
As the report shows, corruption continues to plague too many countries around the world with many governments failing to protect citizens from the 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, chairperson of Transparency International.
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. (Athens News)
- For the full ranking and regional tables, go to www.transparency.org/cpi
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