US drops in global Corruption Perceptions Index 2018

A global anti-corruption watchdog says the United States has dropped four spots in its list of nations' anti-corruption efforts and is now no longer listed in the top 20 for the first time.

The group said its latest report on business leaders’ perceptions of corruption put the United States at 71, down from 75, on a scale of 0-100.

Acting U.S. Representative at Transparency International, Zoe Reiter, calls a four-point drop in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) a "red flag."

She says it comes at a time when the U.S. is experiencing "threats to its system of checks and balances" and an "erosion of ethical norms at the highest levels of power."

"If this trend continues, it would indicate a serious corruption problem in a country that has taken a lead on the issue globally," Reiter says.

"The expert opinion captured by the CPI supports the deep concern over corruption in government reported by America in our 2017 survey. Both experts and the public believe the situation is getting worse," Reiter said.

Australia scored 77 from a possible 100, placing it just above Hong Kong, Iceland, and Austria. New Zealand was ranked the second least corrupt nation in the world, just behind Denmark.

The score represents an equal record low for Australia, which has been unable to improve its anti-corruption and integrity efforts enough to reverse a slide that began in 2014.

The score is derived from a range of 13 sources measuring corruption perceived by experts and business executives. It measures the use of public office for private gain, nepotism, bribery, the diversion of public money and state capture.

The score is also a reflection of the strength of integrity and anti-corruption systems, including “the existence of adequate laws on financial disclosure, conflict of interest prevention and access to information”.

Denmark and New Zealand had the best scores on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) again in 2018, scoring 88 and 87, while Somalia, Syria and South Sudan remained at the bottom, with scores of 10, 13 and 13.