Corruption survey gives many nations worst scores in over a decade. South Sudan slides to the bottom

BERLIN — Many countries had their worst showing in more than a decade in an index released Tuesday that serves as a barometer of public sector corruption worldwide, from leading powers such as the United States and France to authoritarian nations such as Russia and Venezuela. It said of its 2024 survey that “global corruption levels remain alarmingly high, with efforts to reduce them faltering.” The group also pointed to worldwide risks from corruption to efforts to combat climate change. It noted that the U.S. Supreme Court adopted its first code of ethics in 2023, “but serious questions remain about the lack of meaningful, objective enforcement mechanisms and the strength of the new rules themselves.” Other Western nations on the decline included France, which dropped four points to 67 and five places to 25th; and Germany, down three points to 75 and six places to 15th. In Europe, Slovakia dropped five points to 49 in the first full year of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government, “as numerous reforms erode anti-corruption checks and bypass public consultation.” Russia, which already declined significantly in recent years, shed another four points to 22 last year. Transparency International noted that Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has “further entrenched authoritarianism.” It said that Ukraine, while its score dipped one point to 35, “is making strides in judicial independence and high-level corruption prosecutions.” In the Middle East and North Africa, the situation of anti-corruption efforts “remains bleak” as political leaders exert near-absolute control while benefiting from wealth and clamping down on dissent, the group said.