In this lesson, we will look at the current ways corruption is being measured in the world. This helps concretize the severity of the problem and to help address it.

Measurements of corruption can be used to identify trends and illustrate the scale and scope of particular types of corruption. They can help policymakers, analysts and scholars to develop tools to reduce corruption effectively. 

The most widely known perception-based composite index is the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of Transparency International (TI), which lists countries along a continuum of perceived levels of corruption. It is a composite index of 13 other indices from 12 organizations. 

In order to learn more about the Corruption Perceptions Index, please watch the video below. Click on the play button to get started.

The 2020 CPI, published in January of 2021, currently ranks 180 countries on a scale from “100” (very clean) to “0” (highly corrupt). In the list, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Singapore and Switzerland are perceived as the top 6 least corrupt nations in the world. While the most perceived corrupt country in the world is Somalia, scoring 8–10 out of 100 since 2012. South Sudan is also perceived as one of the most corrupt countries in the world due to constant social and economic crises, ranking an average score of 13 out of 100 in 2018.

Apart from the CPI, another measure is the Index of Public Integrity (IPI). The IPI aims to give an objective and comprehensive picture of the state of control of corruption in over a hundred countries. The index is based on evaluating a set of six components (judicial independence, administrative burden, trade openness, budget transparency, e-citizenship and freedom of the press) that help to clarify the institutional framework which empowers public integrity. While this index is not based on perceptions, it provides more of a risk assessment than a measure of the actual level of corruption. 

Additional examples of composite indices that rely on proxy indicators are the Control of Corruption Indicator of the World Bank Governance Indicators, the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Sustainable Government Indicators, and consulting firms’ corruption scores such as PRS Group’s International Country Risk Guide.