Georgia makes progress in latest Corruption Perceptions Index

Georgia has launched a new website where foreigners can apply for an e-visa. Photo by N.Alavidze/agenda.ge
Agenda.ge, 25 Jan 2017 - 15:21, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia’s ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) improved by four spots in 2016, with the country now ranked in 44th place out of 176 countries.

Global anti-corruption organisation Transparency International (TI) released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index today. In the report Georgia topped many Eastern European nations, Central Asian states and even several European Union member nations.

The report studied different countries’ perceived corruption levels in the public sector. Georgia gained an overall score of 57 out of 100 - which is the highest indicator since 2012.

Georgia’s CPI score in 2015, 2014 and 2012 was 52, while in 2013 it was 49.

CPI 2016. TI said top-scoring countries (yellow in the map below) are far outnumbered by orange and red countries where citizens face the tangible impact of corruption on a daily basis. In the report Georgia topped many Eastern European nations, Central Asian states and even several European Union member nations.

TI said no country got even close to a perfect score in the CPI this year.

Over two-thirds of the 176 countries and territories in this year's index fall below the midpoint (50) of the scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (uncorrupt).

"In too many countries, people are deprived of their most basic needs and go to bed hungry every night because of corruption, while the powerful and corrupt enjoy lavish lifestyles with impunity”, said Chair of Transparency International Jose Ugaz.

This year’s least corrupt countries were Denmark (90), New Zealand (90) and Finland (89), while countries with the worst results included Somalia (10), South Sudan (11) and North Korea (12).

The CPI has been published by TI annually since 1995 and is based on expert opinions on public sector corruption.

Since 2012, the Index has been compiled with a new methodology, making it possible to compare results from different years. The CPI is a composite index and is produced based on studies conducted by a number of authoritative organisations.