Every year, Transparency International publishes an index in which 180 countries worldwide are scored and ranked for their resistance to corruption based on various variables.
In the latest report for 2022, which was released today, Sweden drops two positions compared to 2021. It is the worst position for Sweden in eleven years, although the country remains at a high level.
Sweden gets 83 points out of a total of 100 on the scale, which is also the lowest level among the neighboring Nordic countries. This can be compared with Norway, which ends up in fourth place with 84 points, Finland in second place with 87 points and Denmark, which is number one on the list, which receives a total of 90 points.
Europe at the top
It is also in Western Europe and among the EU countries that the total index is highest among the world’s continents, 66 out of a total of 100 on the index. There, the level of corruption is judged to have been basically unchanged over the past decade or to have had a slight decline over the past five years.
The corresponding figures for North and South America in 2022 are 43 points, the Middle East and North Africa 38 points, the Pacific region 45 points, Eastern Europe and Central Asia 35 points and Africa with 32 points.
Corruption is assessed, according to Transapency International, as a fundamental threat to security and peace that creates discontent with society, undermines defense and security institutions and undermines the legitimacy of the state.
World unrest increases the risk of corruption
According to Transparency International, the pandemic, climate crisis and a growing global security threat are said to increase the risk of corruption.
Over the past five years, only eight countries have significantly improved their scores and ten countries have lost “remarkably” much, including Austria, Luxembourg and the UK.