For the first time, Ireland has been placed in the top ten in a recent index of countries seen as having the least public corruption.
Ireland ranks ahead of the UK, Canada and Australia as it is ranked 10th among every country in the world in terms of being the least touched by public corruption.
This is the first time the south has been ranked in the top ten by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPU). The index was first published in 1995.
Ireland ranked one of the least corrupt countries – 10th place out of every country in the world
The 2022 CPI rankings by Transparency International put the Republic of Ireland in 10th place in terms of having the least public corruption.
Ireland scored 77 points out of 100. It ranks ahead of the likes of Australia in 13th place, Canada in 14th, and the UK in 20th place.
In 2021, Ireland received a score of 74 in a “perception index”. The index combines data from several international sources by experts on the level of corruption within the public sector. The current score is a significant increase since 2021.
Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index – an amalgamation of expert data
There are 13 bodies from which data is taken to conclude the Corruption Perceptions Index. These include Economist Intelligence, the Bertelsmann Foundation and the World Economic Forum.
John Davitt, Chief Executive of Transparency International Ireland, said, “Ireland has experienced relatively few corruption-related scandals over the past five years.
“This contrasts with the period from 1997 to 2012 when the proceedings and findings of the Mahon and Moriarty tribunals frequently made national and international headlines.
“Since then, the Oireachtas has passed new laws on whistleblowing, lobbying regulation and anti-corruption.
“However, international perceptions of Ireland did not shift significantly until this year and it would appear that the absence of any major controversy has influenced perceptions as much as any reform.”
The least and most corrupt countries in the world – the top and bottom end
Denmark comes out in first place as the country with the least public corruption. It earned the highest score of 90 out of 100.
Finland and New Zealand take the second and third places, each with a score of 87. The remainder of the top ten rounds out with Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany.
According to the index, Western Europe and the European Union was the global region with the best record. Of these countries, Hungary ranked the lowest, with a score of 42.
The three countries in last place, ranking as the countries with the most public corruption, are Somalia in last place with 12 points, followed by Syria and Sudan each with 13 points. You can check out the full results of the index here.
