Denmark, Finland and Sweden received gold stars from Transparency International’s corruption perception index, which highlighted a ‘two-speed’ Europe. Northern countries generally received high marks indicating that multi-national corporations considered them to be relatively free of public sector corruption, while their southern and eastern counterparts exhibited worrying trends.

Bad boys

Countries perceived to be the most corrupt globally, included Afghanistan, Burma, North Korea, Somalia and Sudan. European countries with very low marks included Russia and Ukraine, but Greece and Serbia also rated very poorly.
Jana Mittermaier, Transparency International’s Europe director, called on national governments and EU officials to boost anti-corruption efforts. ‘A two-speed Europe, where some citizens’ lives are still blighted by corruption, is unacceptable,’ she said. ‘All EU countries should move towards a culture of transparency and integrity, with no impunity for those involved in corrupt acts. Closing integrity gaps in the public sector will not just raise the public’s trust in national and European institutions; it will also be a safeguard preventing corruption from causing future economic crises.’
The list of countries perceived to be least blighted by corruption, according to Transparency International are:

Denmark
Finland
New Zealand
Sweden
Singapore
Switzerland
Australia
Norway
Canada
The Netherlands
Iceland
Luxembourg
Germany
Hong Kong
Barbados
Belgium
Japan
UK
US