On Tuesday, the report of the anti-corruption organisation Transparency International on the worldwide comparison of corruption and bribery was presented in Berlin. The Corruption Perceptions Index is published annually. and a total of 180 countries are rated.
“The index summarizes 13 individual indices from 12 independent institutions and is based on expert interviews, surveys and other research.”
The countries are ranked on a scale from 0 to 100. The higher the score, the lower the prevailing corruption and bribery in the country. More than two-thirds of the 180 countries score less than 50 points, the average being 43 points.
In the United States, corruption has increased year on year. The US slipped from 16th place to 22nd place. Germany lost one point with 80. The lost point came after an investigation by the World Economic Forum of executives.
They maintain that there is an increase in corruption in the “economy and public institutions”. Together with Great Britain, Germany occupies eleventh place after Denmark and New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.
The chairman of Transparency Germany, Prof Edda Müller, commented on the drop: “The business environment in Germany is critically evaluated by the economy itself. Obviously, there is the impression that unfair methods can be used to promote business in Germany. That’s alarming. The scandals involving German corporations of recent years must have consequences, otherwise people’s belief in the rule of law is crumbling.”
The fight against corruption is only successful if “democratic and constitutional institutions” are strengthened.