The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2020 published this Thursday, January 28, 2021 by Transparency International reveals that persistent corruption weakens health systems and contributes to the decline of democracy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In nearly ten years, more than two-thirds of countries have a score below 50.

Felicien Houessou

This year's CPI paints a grim picture of the state of corruption around the world. While most countries have made little progress in the fight against corruption in nearly a decade, more than two-thirds of countries have a score below 50. According to this new report from Transparency International, many countries have not evolved at all. From 2019 to 2020, some have stagnated while a few have made some progress. The analysis shows that corruption not only undermines the global health response to Covid-19, but it also contributes to deepening the ongoing democratic crisis.
Countries that perform well on the index invest more in health care, are better able to provide universal health coverage, and are less likely to undermine democratic norms and institutions or the rule of law. Thus, Denmark and New Zealand lead the index, with 88 points. Syria, Somalia and South Sudan come last, with 14, 12 and 12 points, respectively.
For Delia Ferreira Rubio, President of Transparency International, the past year has tested governments like never before. “Those with the highest levels of corruption had the hardest time rising to the challenge. But even those at the helm of the IPC must urgently address the role they play in perpetuating corruption at home and abroad,” she said. This edition of the CPI rates 180 countries and territories according to their perceived levels of corruption in the public sector, based on assessments by experts and business people.