Global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International released the 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) last week. The report ranked a total of 180 countries worldwide, 31 of which are from the Americas.
The countries are graded based upon surveys that measure people's perceived level of corruption in the public sector. Rankings are then given to each country using a scale of 1-10, with 10 being least corrupt and 1 being most corrupt.
The 3 least corrupt countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index were New Zealand with 9.4 points, Denmark with 9.3 points and Singapore with 9.2 points. Uruguay and Chile tied for 25th with 6.7 points.
Looking at our North American neighbors (and many expats’ home countries), Canada ranks 8th with 8.7 points and the United States ranks 18th with 7.5 points (lagging just behind the UK, ranking 17th with 7.7 points).
Other rankings of interest:
- Puerto Rico ranks 35th with 5.8 points
- Costa Rica ranks 43rd with 5.3 points
- Brazil ranks 75th with 3.7 points
- Colombia ranks 75th with 3.7 points
- Peru ranks 75th with 3.7 points
- Panama ranks 84th with 3.4 points
- Mexico ranks 89th with 3.3 points
- Argentina ranks 106th with 2.9 points
- Bolivia ranks 120th with 2.7 points
- Honduras ranks 130th with 2.5 points
- Nicaragua ranks 130th with 2.5 points
- Ecuador ranks 146th with 2.2 points
- Paraguay ranks 154th with 2.1 points
- Venezuela ranks 162nd with 1.9 points
See more about the Corruption Perceptions Index on Transparency International’s website.
Or read the Mercopress story, which give a great analysis of what the rankings mean for the various countries.