Revealed: Most and least corrupt countries of 2018

Dubai - Transparency International said the UAE scored higher than other countries in the region, thanks it level of stateness and human development.

The UAE remains the least in corruption in the Middle East and North Africa region last year and was ranked 23rd globally among 180 countries.
Despite drop of two positions, the UAE was ranked higher than Taiwan, Spain, South Korea, Italy, Malaysia, India, China and a number of other large countries, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index 2018 released by Transparency International on Tuesday.
The UAE was followed by Qatar (23rd ranking worldwide), Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Syria in the Mena region.
Transparency International said the UAE scored higher than other countries in the region, thanks it level of stateness and human development, i.e., efficient public administration, and high levels of gross domestic product (GDP), health and education.
"The Corruption Perceptions Index 2018 presents a grim reality in Mena where, despite some incremental progress by a select few, most countries are failing in the fight against corruption. With an average score of 39, Mena region falls behind both the Americas and Asia Pacific regions where average score for both was 44. It does only slightly better than Eastern Europe and Central Asia where average score was 35 and Sub-Saharan Africa which scored 32," Transparency International said in its annual report.
Globally, Denmark is perceived the least corrupt country followed by New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Canada, Luxembourg, Germany, the UK and others. While the countries where corruption level was perceived to highest were war-torn countries like Somalia, Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, North Korea, Sudan, Bissau Guinea, Guinea Equatorial, Afghanistan, Libya, Burundi, Venezuela and Iraq.
Among the major countries, the US was ranked at 22nd position in 2018, India at 78th (up 3 positions), China at 87th, Philippines at 99th, Pakistan at 117th and Bangladesh at 149th positions. 
waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com