Corruption index 2011 from Transparency International: find out how countries compare

Which country is most corrupt? North Korea is now officially considered the world's most corrupt country, along with Somalia. But why has the US gone up one place and the UK's score improved? See how the annual corruption index has changed
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Corruption index 2011 from Transparency International: North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's country is seen as the most corrupt in the world. Photograph: Petar Kujundzic/Reuters

Corruption around the world remains a deeply entrenched, global concern according to Transparency International's 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) - the world's most credible measure of of domestic, public sector corruption.

This year, two thirds of countries covered by the index were given scores less than 5 - which means they are considered significantly corrupt.

The CPI scores countries on a scale of zero to 10, with zero indicating high levels of corruption and 10, low levels. And the most corrupt places in the world are not the most surprising. Unstable governments, often with a legacy of conflict, continue to dominate the bottom rungs of the CPI. Afghanistan and Myanmar share second to last place with a score of 1.5, with Somalia and North Korea - measured for the first time - coming in last with a score of 1.

World corruption index interactive map. Click image to explore it

The world's most peaceful countries score the best. In the 2011 CPI, New Zealand is top with a score of 9.5, followed by Denmark, Finland, Swedenand Singapore.

Four countries and territories besides North Korea are included for the first time: the Bahamas, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, andSuriname.

Transparency International (TI) chair Huguette Labelle says corruption remains a major global issue, highlighted by widespread demonstrations in 2011: "This year we have seen corruption on protestor's banners be they rich or poor. Whether in a Europe hit by debt crisis or an Arab world starting a new political era, leaders must head the demands for better government."

Wealth seems no easy antidote to corruption: some relatively rich countries, including Russia, fall at the bottom of the global league table. Meanwhile, some of the world's poorer states do comparatively well: Botswana, Bhutan, Cape Verde, and Rwanda all appear among the 50 "cleanest" countries.

While the index has been published annually since 1995, TI warns against comparing scores over time, as sources for the index change each year. However, the Berlin-based NGO notes that two general trends pop out regardless: Arab Spring countries, and many Eurozone countries – particularly those affected by the financial crisis – are doing worse and worse.

Most Arab Spring countries rank in the lower half of the index, with scores below 4. Many of the lowest-scoring European countries are those hardest hit by the financial and debt crises – including Greece and Italy.

The UK ranks 16th, along with Austria and the Barbados, and just ahead of Belgium and Ireland. The US ranks 24th.

The Index, which is closely watched by investors, economists, and civil society campaigners, is based on expert assessments and data from 17 surveys from 13 independent institutions, covering issues such as access to information, bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, and the enforcement of anti-corruption laws. While critics note that measuring perceptions of corruption is not the same as measuring corruption itself, the latter is almost impossible to do - as the corrupt are usually keen to cover up their tracks, hard data on graft and bribery is notoriously difficult to come by.

We've got the full data below. What can you do with it?

Data summary

Transparency international world corruption index (1=least corrupt)

Click heading to sort table. Download this data

2011 rank	Country / Territory	CPI 2011 Score	CPI 2010 Score	CPI 2009 Score	CPI 2008 Score
SOURCE: Transparency International
1	New Zealand	9.5	9.3	9.4	9.3
2	Denmark	9.4	9.3	9.3	9.3
2	Finland	9.4	9.2	8.9	9
4	Sweden	9.3	9.2	9.2	9.3
5	Singapore	9.2	9.3	9.2	9.2
6	Norway	9.0	8.6	8.6	7.9
7	Netherlands	8.9	8.8	8.9	8.9
8	Switzerland	8.8	8.7	9	9
8	Australia	8.8	8.7	8.7	8.7
10	Canada	8.7	8.9	8.7	8.7
11	Luxembourg	8.5	8.5	8.2	8.3
12	Hong Kong	8.4	8.4	8.2	8.1
13	Iceland	8.3	8.5	8.7	8.9
14	Germany	8.0	7.9	8	7.9
14	Japan	8.0	7.8	7.7	7.3
16	Austria	7.8	7.9	7.9	8.1
16	Barbados	7.8	7.8	7.4	7
16	United Kingdom	7.8	7.6	7.7	7.7
19	Ireland	7.5	8	8	7.7
19	Belgium	7.5	7.1	7.1	7.3
21	Bahamas	7.3
22	Qatar	7.2	7.7	7	6.5
22	Chile	7.2	7.2	6.7	6.9
24	United States	7.1	7.1	7.5	7.3
25	Uruguay	7.0	6.9	6.7	6.9
25	France	7.0	6.8	6.9	6.9
25	Saint Lucia	7.0
28	United Arab Emirates	6.8	6.3	6.5	5.9
29	Estonia	6.4	6.5	6.6	6.6
30	Cyprus	6.3	6.3	6.6	6.4
31	Spain	6.2	6.1	6.1	6.5
32	Portugal	6.1	6	5.8	6.1
32	Botswana	6.1	5.8	5.6	5.8
32	Taiwan	6.1	5.8	5.6	5.7
35	Slovenia	5.9	6.4	6.6	6.7
36	Israel	5.8	6.1	6.1	6
36	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	5.8
38	Bhutan	5.7	5.7	5	5.2
39	Puerto Rico	5.6	5.8	5.8	5.8
39	Malta	5.6	5.6	5.2	5.8
41	Poland	5.5	5.3	5	4.6
41	Cape Verde	5.5	5.1	5.1	5.1
43	Korea (South)	5.4	5.4	5.5	5.6
44	Brunei	5.2	5.5	5.5	0
44	Dominica	5.2	5.2	5.9	6
46	Mauritius	5.1	5.4	5.4	5.5
46	Macau	5.1	5	5.3	5.4
46	Bahrain	5.1	4.9	5.1	5.4
49	Rwanda	5.0	4	3.3	3
50	Costa Rica	4.8	5.3	5.3	5.1
50	Oman	4.8	5.3	5.5	5.5
50	Lithuania	4.8	5	4.9	4.6
50	Seychelles	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8
54	Hungary	4.6	4.7	5.1	5.1
54	Kuwait	4.6	4.5	4.1	4.3
56	Jordan	4.5	4.7	5	5.1
57	Saudi Arabia	4.4	4.7	4.3	3.5
57	Czech Republic	4.4	4.6	4.9	5.2
57	Namibia	4.4	4.4	4.5	4.5
60	Malaysia	4.3	4.4	4.5	5.1
61	Turkey	4.2	4.4	4.4	4.6
61	Latvia	4.2	4.3	4.5	5
61	Cuba	4.2	3.7	4.4	4.3
64	South Africa	4.1	4.5	4.7	4.9
64	Georgia	4.1	3.8	4.1	3.9
66	Slovakia	4.0	4.3	4.5	5
66	Croatia	4.0	4.1	4.1	4.4
66	Montenegro	4.0	3.7	3.9	3.4
69	Ghana	3.9	4.1	3.9	3.9
69	Samoa	3.9	4.1	4.5	4.4
69	Macedonia, FYR	3.9	4.1	3.8	3.6
69	Italy	3.9	3.9	4.3	4.8
73	Tunisia	3.8	4.3	4.2	4.4
73	Brazil	3.8	3.7	3.7	3.5
75	Romania	3.6	3.7	3.8	3.8
75	China	3.6	3.5	3.6	3.6
77	Vanuatu	3.5	3.6	3.2	2.9
77	Lesotho	3.5	3.5	3.3	3.2
77	Gambia	3.5	3.2	2.9	1.9
80	El Salvador	3.4	3.6	3.4	3.9
80	Thailand	3.4	3.5	3.4	3.5
80	Peru	3.4	3.5	3.7	3.6
80	Greece	3.4	3.5	3.8	4.7
80	Colombia	3.4	3.5	3.7	3.8
80	Morocco	3.4	3.4	3.3	3.5
86	Panama	3.3	3.6	3.4	3.4
86	Bulgaria	3.3	3.6	3.8	3.6
86	Serbia	3.3	3.5	3.5	3.4
86	Jamaica	3.3	3.3	3	3.1
86	Sri Lanka	3.3	3.2	3.1	3.2
91	Trinidad and Tobago	3.2	3.6	3.6	3.6
91	Liberia	3.2	3.3	3.1	2.4
91	Bosnia and Herzegovina	3.2	3.2	3	3.2
91	Zambia	3.2	3	3	2.8
95	Albania	3.1	3.3	3.2	3.4
95	India	3.1	3.3	3.4	3.4
95	Kiribati	3.1	3.2	2.8	3.1
95	Swaziland	3.1	3.2	3.6	3.6
95	Tonga	3.1	3	3	2.4
100	Malawi	3.0	3.4	3.3	2.8
100	Djibouti	3.0	3.2	2.8	3
100	Mexico	3.0	3.1	3.3	3.6
100	Burkina Faso	3.0	3.1	3.6	3.5
100	Sao Tome & Principe	3.0	3	2.8	2.7
100	Argentina	3.0	2.9	2.9	2.9
100	Benin	3.0	2.8	2.9	3.1
100	Gabon	3.0	2.8	2.9	3.1
100	Indonesia	3.0	2.8	2.8	2.6
100	Tanzania	3.0	2.7	2.6	3
100	Madagascar	3.0	2.6	3	3.4
100	Suriname	3.0
112	Egypt	2.9	3.1	2.8	2.8
112	Senegal	2.9	2.9	3	3.4
112	Moldova	2.9	2.9	3.3	2.9
112	Algeria	2.9	2.9	2.8	3.2
112	Kosovo	2.9	2.8	0	0
112	Vietnam	2.9	2.7	2.7	2.7
118	Bolivia	2.8	2.8	2.7	3
118	Mali	2.8	2.7	2.8	3.1
120	Guatemala	2.7	3.2	3.4	3.1
120	Kazakhstan	2.7	2.9	2.7	2.2
120	Solomon Islands	2.7	2.8	2.8	2.9
120	Mongolia	2.7	2.7	2.7	3
120	Mozambique	2.7	2.7	2.5	2.6
120	Ethiopia	2.7	2.7	2.7	2.6
120	Ecuador	2.7	2.5	2.2	2
120	Bangladesh	2.7	2.4	2.4	2.1
120	Iran	2.7	2.2	1.8	2.3
129	Dominican Republic	2.6	3	3	3
129	Armenia	2.6	2.6	2.7	2.9
129	Syria	2.6	2.5	2.6	2.1
129	Honduras	2.6	2.4	2.5	2.6
129	Philippines	2.6	2.4	2.4	2.3
134	Guyana	2.5	2.7	2.6	2.6
134	Eritrea	2.5	2.6	2.6	2.6
134	Niger	2.5	2.6	2.9	2.8
134	Lebanon	2.5	2.5	2.5	3
134	Nicaragua	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.5
134	Sierra Leone	2.5	2.4	2.2	1.9
134	Pakistan	2.5	2.3	2.4	2.5
134	Maldives	2.5	2.3	2.5	2.8
134	Cameroon	2.5	2.2	2.2	2.3
143	Timor-Leste	2.4	2.5	2.2	2.2
143	Belarus	2.4	2.5	2.4	2
143	Uganda	2.4	2.5	2.5	2.6
143	Azerbaijan	2.4	2.4	2.3	1.9
143	Togo	2.4	2.4	2.8	2.7
143	Nigeria	2.4	2.4	2.5	2.7
143	Mauritania	2.4	2.3	2.5	2.8
143	Comoros	2.4	2.1	2.3	2.5
143	Russia	2.4	2.1	2.2	2.1
152	Ukraine	2.3	2.4	2.2	2.5
152	Tajikistan	2.3	2.1	2	2
154	Zimbabwe	2.2	2.4	2.2	1.8
154	Nepal	2.2	2.2	2.3	2.7
154	Paraguay	2.2	2.2	2.1	2.4
154	Côte d´Ivoire	2.2	2.2	2.1	2
154	Congo Republic	2.2	2.1	1.9	1.9
154	Papua New Guinea	2.2	2.1	2.1	2
154	Guinea-Bissau	2.2	2.1	1.9	1.9
154	Central African Republic	2.2	2.1	2	2
154	Laos	2.2	2.1	2	2
154	Kenya	2.2	2.1	2.2	2.1
164	Yemen	2.1	2.2	2.1	2.3
164	Cambodia	2.1	2.1	2	1.8
164	Guinea	2.1	2	1.8	1.6
164	Kyrgyzstan	2.1	2	1.9	1.8
168	Libya	2.0	2.2	2.5	2.6
168	Congo, Dem Rep	2.0	2	1.9	1.7
168	Angola	2.0	1.9	1.9	1.9
168	Chad	2.0	1.7	1.6	1.6
172	Venezuela	1.9	2	1.9	1.9
172	Equatorial Guinea	1.9	1.9	1.8	1.7
172	Burundi	1.9	1.8	1.8	1.9
175	Haiti	1.8	2.2	1.8	1.4
175	Iraq	1.8	1.5	1.5	1.3
177	Sudan	1.6	1.6	1.5	1.6
177	Turkmenistan	1.6	1.6	1.8	1.8
177	Uzbekistan	1.6	1.6	1.7	1.8
180	Myanmar	1.5	1.4	1.4	1.3
180	Afghanistan	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.5
182	Somalia	1.0	1.1	1.1	1
182	Korea (North)	1.0

Five lessons for making a difference in the world

By ONE Partners                                                                                                                                                                              Today is the start of Global Entrepreneurship Week, a celebration of the innovators who help drive economic growth and expand human welfare. Rupert Scofield, president and CEO ofFINCA International and author of “The Social Entrepreneurs Handbook,” talks about his experiences as a social entrepreneur and microfinance pioneer.

President and CEO Rupert Scofield visits a FINCA Afghanistan Village Bank Group in Kabul. Photo credit: FINCA staff.

ONE members are among the most committed and energetic advocates on the front lines of the fight against global poverty that I’ve seen in my 40 years. You read the ONE Blog, you write your friends, you visit your elected officials, you sign petitions, you raise your voices -– all because you believe in social justice and you want a future where every child has a chance to break the chains of poverty and disease. I feel the same way, and in a world where there is less and less focus on the challenges facing the world’s poorest people, I urge you to ask yourself a question: What if I took the next step and became a social entrepreneur, applying my energy to start a new business, organization, or campaign to bring about the change I wish to see in the world?

This is a daunting question, and I can assure you there is no easy answer to it. But after nearly four decades of making small business “microloans” to women in the world’s poorest communities with my organization, FINCA International, I have developed a view as to what are the most important ingredients for success in social entrepreneurship.

Here are five lessons for entrepreneurs who are thinking of taking the plunge into social action:

1. Follow your passion. Starting FINCA took a lot of hard work, but it was such a labor of love that I never viewed it as a job. We were on a mission, and our passion and enthusiasm attracted many talented people willing to share their skills and experience. People, especially recent graduates, often ask me: “Where do I begin?” I answer with a question of my own: “What or whom do you care about? Global warming? World hunger? Righting a wrong?”

2. Be a volunteer. If you are not quite sure where to begin, volunteer for a non-profit either in the US or abroad. You will quickly discover whether or not this work is for you, if you’ve picked the right cause, and if you are ready to take the next step toward starting or joining a social enterprise. As a ONE advocate, you are actively working to promote social justice and end global poverty. In other words, you’ve already taken the first step.

3. Walk a mile in their shoes. Social entrepreneurs feel passionate about something, usually correcting an injustice or helping a group of people who are getting a raw deal and are powerless to do much or anything about it. But social entrepreneurs shouldn’t just read about their constituency, they need to “walk a mile in their shoes” in order to develop an understanding of their plight. If you can find an opportunity to get out into “the field” and live in the communities you are trying to help.

4. Build it brick by brick. To operate a successful socially minded organization, you must start as you would with any other business: you need to hone your skills and acquire the necessary experience. You will need to recruit other true believers to your cause. You will need to raise the capital to finance your social business, to make payroll, and to provide the goods and services to the constituency you have identified. How do you accomplish this? Brick by brick. There are no short cuts that I have found, making patience, diligence and creativity the keys to success.

5. Never stop innovating. The future of social entrepreneurship is limited only by our imaginations and creativity. In many ways, all socially-responsible businesses are moving in this direction. Their employees and shareholders are demanding they be accountable for more than just dragging money to the bottom line — making new approaches to problems a must. We are in continual dialogue with our clients to identify the new products and services that they most need to build stable, more secure livelihoods.

What now? When you’re considering taking a big step like becoming an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get caught up in all the reasons why you shouldn’t or can’t do it. In the comment section below, I’d like you to write a sentence about why you think people SHOULD become social entrepreneurs. Start your answer with “Because…” For example, “Because who will take action if I don’t?”

Ed note: We’ll pick five comments at random to receive a free copy of Rupert Scofield’s “The Social Entrepreneur’s Handbook,” on Friday, November 18. We’ll contact the winner via email, so make sure you use an email address where we can notify you if win. Good luck!