Transparency international - Corruption perceptions index 2013

The institutional and regulatory framework within which economic activity takes place affects the way resources are allocated, investment decisions are guided and creativity and innovation are stimulated. Corruption weakens a country and undermines the stability and security for the decisions taken by economic agents. It is in this context that Transparency International, a non-governmental organisation at the forefront of the fight against corruption, has published the 2013 edition of its annual composite index of perception of corruption: the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

The CPI composite index measures, by country, the perception of corruption in the public sector. It is calculated using information from surveys undertaken by experts and business decision-makers at 13 international institutions including the World Bank, the Asian and African Development Banks and the World Economic Forum. It focuses on corruption with respect to political parties, the police, the judicial system and public services.

The results are then used to classify areas according to the degree of perceived corruption in the national public sector. The CPI ranges between 100 (quite honourable) and 0 (highly corrupt) across the 177 countries analysed.

In this 2013 edition, Denmark and New Zealand jointly occupy the first position in the world rankings, each with a score of 91 (out of 100), just ahead of Sweden (89) and Norway and Singapore (both 86). Bottom of the rankings are South Sudan (14) Sudan (11), Afghanistan (8), North Korea (8) and Somalia (8).

Luxembourg, with a score of 80, is in 11th position globally. The Netherlands is ranked 8th, Germany 12th, Belgium 15th and France 22nd. Within the European Union, Luxembourg is in 5th position. Luxembourg is therefore considered part of the group of countries where corruption in the public sector is perceived as relatively unimportant.