Sri Lanka drops further in corruption perceptions index

Sri Lanka dropped further in the latest corruption perceptions index (CPI) for the year 2023.

Sri Lanka dropped 2 places to 115 with a score of 34 in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International.

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is the most widely used global corruption ranking in the world. It measures how corrupt each country’s public sector is perceived to be, according to experts and businesspeople.

The index notes that in South Asia, both Pakistan(29) and Sri Lanka (34) grapple with their respective debt burdens and ensuing political instability. However, the two countries have strong judicial oversight, which is helping to keep the government in check.

The CPI global average remains unchanged at 43 for the twelfth year in a row, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50. This indicates serious corruption problems.

Denmark (90) tops the index for the sixth consecutive year, with Finland and New Zealand following closely with scores of 87 and 85, respectively. Due to well-functioning justice systems, these countries are also among the top scorers in the Rule of Law Index.

Somalia (11), Venezuela (13), Syria (13), South Sudan (13) and Yemen (16) take the bottom spots in the index. They are all affected by protracted crises, mostly armed conflicts.