Corruption is one of the biggest threats in the world. Unfortunately this threat found in every country. This global issue establishes bad governance, stops development and weakens the law. Still, there are a number of countries where corruption is at very low level. Here the list of 5 least corrupt countries in the world.
The corruption is measured by the corruption perception index score (CPI). It CPI score ranges from 0 to 100. The CPI score of ‘0’ indicates a highly corrupt country and a score of ‘100’ indicates a perfect country with no corruption.
1. Denmark
Denmark is the least corrupt country in the world with a CPI score of 92. The administrative corruption, business corruption and other form of corruption are very rare in Denmark. The country has a unitary parliamentary system with constitutional monarchy.
Transparent mechanism, integrity, independent judiciary, civic activism and social trust are the factors that make Denmark as the most transparent country in the world. The Danish penal code also forbids all forms of bribery in the country. In addition to lower level of corruption, Denmark also has a high standard of living, high social mobility, high literacy and equality.
2. New Zealand
New Zealand is the second least corrupt country with a CPI score of 91. New Zealand has a parliamentary system with a constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state of New Zealand. The New Zealand government follows the Westminster model. The judiciary of New Zealand is completely independent from the executive branch and the legislature. In that way the judiciary of New Zealand maintains the accountability and impartiality.
3. Finland
Finland is a parliamentary republic and the Prime Minister is the head of the government. The political leaders in Finland have a strong commitment against corruption. Finland government also maintains a much transparent mechanism and efficient integrity systems. The independent judiciary and strong legal framework also lower the chances of different forms of corruption in the country.
4. Sweden
Sweden is a parliamentary democratic with a constitutional monarchy. This country globally known for its high quality life, equality, human development, education and health. The government system of Sweden is also transparent and stable. The government agencies of Sweden considered the corruption as ‘abuse of power’. There is also an efficient anti-corruption unit in Sweden to investigate and prosecute corruption.
5. Norway
Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. The monarchy is the head of the state and the government led by the prime minister. The judiciary of Norway is completely independent from the executive and legislature branches. Norway also has a strict and efficient anti-corruption legislation. It helps to maintain the high standard within the public sector of Norway.
