As in the previous year, the 2018 Corruption Perception Index measured the level of corruption perception for 180 countries. In general, according to the researchers, the countries have shown almost no progress since last year: according to the results of the study, more than 2/3 of the countries received less than 50 points (according to the methodology of the study, the fewer points a country receives - the more corrupt, according to respondents, it is), and the average result for all countries was 43 points.
Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland were recognized as the leaders of the rating - the least corrupt countries - with 85 to 88 points, followed by North Korea, Yemen, South Sudan, Syria and Somalia (10-14 points).
According to TI experts, the 2018 survey results show that the greatest threat to anti-corruption efforts is the existence of non-democratic ruling regimes in countries: lack of free and equal elections, strong and independent state institutions, and lack of respect for political and civil rights. Citing Hungary and Turkey as examples of countries that have declined in the rankings, the researchers attribute this to the systematic infringement of citizens' and media rights and the undermining of democratic institutions in these countries
From this point of view, however, the significant loss of positions in the rating of the United States is not quite understandable: despite the fact that this country is considered an "example" of a democratic free society, this year its rating fell by 4 points, and for the first time the United States did not enter the top 20 countries of the CPI.
At the same time, as has been noted by various experts (for example, here, here and here), when assessing the level of corruption and the effectiveness of the fight against corruption in a country, one should not blindly rely on the results of the CPI ranking. First, it should be remembered that the CPI reflects only the level of perception of corruption, not the actual results of the changes taking place in the country in the field of combating corruption. Second, due to the different interpretations of the phenomenon of corruption in different countries and the high level of subjectivity of research methods, the leading positions of the countries in the CPI ranking should not be taken for granted.
Справочно: Transparency International регулярно представляет Индекс восприятия коррупции на протяжении уже 25 лет. За это время методология расчета CPI не раз менялась. В частности, применяемая на данный момент 100-балльная система оценки была введена только в 2012 году. CPI формируется на основе опросов экспертов и предпринимателей и призван проиллюстрировать уровень восприятия коррупции в государственном секторе. TI не проводит собственных опросов, а использует данные 13 различных сторонних источников (таких, как Всемирный банк, Всемирный экономический форум, Азиатски