Global anti-corruption efforts are faltering, partly due to a ‘decline’ in justice: survey

Efforts to fight public sector corruption are faltering around the world, in part because a “global decline in justice and the rule of law since 2016,” according to a corruption index released yesterday.

Transparency International, which compiles the annual Corruption Perceptions Index, found 23 countries at their worst level since the global ranking began almost three decades ago, including both high-ranking democracies and authoritarian states.

On the reported decline in justice, the group said that “the rise of authoritarianism in some countries contributes to this trend, and even in democratic contexts, the mechanisms that keep governments in check have weakened.”

“Corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check,” Transparency International chair François Valérian said in a statement. He added that “leaders should fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption.”

The organization measures the perception of public sector corruption according to 13 data sources including the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and private risk and consulting companies. It ranks 180 countries and territories on a scale from a “highly corrupt” 0 to a “very clean” 100.