This document summarizes data from Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index. It finds that over 2/3 of the 180 countries scored below 50, indicating serious corruption issues. Western Europe & the EU had the highest average score at 65 but all other regions scored below 50. Spain ranked 36th globally with a score of 60, placing it 13th among Eurozone countries. Nearly 85% of countries saw stagnant or worsening corruption levels over the past decade.

1. 95%
90%
78%
68%
66%
13%
Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Middle East & North Africa
Asia Pacific
Americas
Western Europe & EU
73
48 32
Full democracies
(24 countries)
Flawed democracies
(48)
Non-democratic regimes
(94)
Corruption Perceptions Index 2023
(Transparency International)
ECONOMY
In data
Perception of corruption in the public sector 2023 (CPI)
Source: Círculo de Empresarios based on Transparency
International, 2024.
COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST
PERCEPTION OF CORRUPTION *
2/3
out of 180 countries score < 50,
+ 80% world population
36th
SPAIN RANK
GLOBAL RANKING
with 60 points, 17 more than the
overall average, same as Latvia
and St. Vincent & Grenadines
AVERAGE SCORE
WESTERN EUROPE AND EU
65 points
22 points better than overall average,
but 1 point below 2016-22 index
Perceptions of corruption in the Eurozone and Spain
SPAIN, WITH 60 POINTS, IS 36TH IN THE GLOBAL RANKING AND 13TH AMONG EUROZONE COUNTRIES
LOWEST AVERAGE
SCORE BY REGION
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
33 points
10 points less than global average
The countries in the top 25 of the ranking comprise only about 10% of the world's population
“GLOBAL DECLINE IN JUSTICE AND RULE OF LAW SINCE 2016. THE RISE OF AUTHORITARIANISM IN SOME COUNTRIES CONTRIBUTES TO
THIS TREND. EVEN IN DEMOCRATIC CONTEXTS, THE MECHANISMS THAT KEEP GOVERNMENTS IN CHECK HAVE WEAKENED”
* Score < 50 out of 100, where 100 indicates the lowest level of perceived corruption
Score 180 countries and average score by region
Countries with strong rule of law, democratic institutions
and independent, transparent and well-resourced
judiciaries are at the top in the ranking
In the last decade, corruption perception levels stagnated or
worsened in 84.4% of the countries analysed
No. of countries where data sources largely coincide in their
development between 2012 -23
Almost a third of Eurozone countries lose positions in the ranking compared to 2019,
including Spain
Ranking position
European
countries play a
leading role in
the Top 10
Average score of countries by type of democracy*
* Economist Intelligence Unit classification for 166 economies
Except in the Western European and EU region, most countries
score below 50, indicating serious problems in controlling
corruption
% countries in each region scoring < 50
Spain's evolution in the global ranking
since 2019
Americas
43 Sub-Saharan
Africa
33
Western Europe
& EU
65
Middle East &
North Africa
38
Eastern Europe
and Central Asia
35
Asia
Pacific
45
0 - Highly
corrupt
100 –
Very clean
GLOBAL AVERAGE = 43
Weakening checks and
balances + political
integrity erosion
Political corruption
+ conflicts
Lack of judicial
independence + weak
rule of law →
widespread impunity
Dysfunctional rule of law,
authoritarianism and
systemic corruption
Historically top-
scoring countries
fall backwards
Top: Canada
(76/100)
Top: Seychelles
(71/100)
Top: Denmark
(90/100)
Top: Georgia
(53/100)
Top: New Zealand
(85/100)
Top: UAE
(68/100)
Impunity for corrupt officials,
restricted civic space and limited
access to justice
Recommendations
Transparency International
o Integrity, transparency and
accountability procedures and controls
o Restore proper functioning of
institutions (i.e. renew CGPJ)
o Institutional reforms to ▼ corruption
risks
28 34
118
Improvement Worsening Stagnation