10 Least Corrupt Countries in 2023: Denmark Remains Champion

Transparency International (TI) revealed that several countries exhibited minimal corruption practices in 2023. This is evident from the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) scores published by TI.

Denmark ranked first with a score of 90 out of 100 points. Denmark has maintained this position for several years, at least the last five.

Finland followed closely with a score of 87 points. Similar to Denmark, Finland's position remained unchanged from the previous year.

New Zealand secured third place with a score of 85 points. However, this score decreased from 87 points in 2022.

Norway and Singapore occupied the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, with scores of 84 and 83 points. Both maintained their 2022 scores.

Singapore is the only ASEAN country among the top 10. The majority of the least corrupt countries on this list are from Europe.

Unfortunately, Indonesia did not make the top 10. Its score in 2023 was 34 points.

This figure remained stagnant from 2022, but its ranking dropped. Indonesia was ranked 110th in 2022, falling to 115th in 2023. This places it alongside Ecuador, Malawi, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.

The CPI survey involved 180 countries. A score of 0 indicates widespread corruption, while a score of 100 signifies a corruption-free country.

The average global CPI score was only 43 points in 2023. TI stated that most countries have not experienced significant changes over the past decade.

TI also explained that over two-thirds of countries scored below 50 points, indicating serious corruption problems. Furthermore, 23 countries experienced their lowest scores this year.

Disclaimer: This article was updated on Monday, February 17, 2025, at 8:29 PM WIB in the third paragraph. The original text incorrectly stated New Zealand (a country ranked second in anti-corruption) instead of Finland, as shown in the graph.

(Read also: Indonesia's 2023 Corruption Perception Index Score Stagnant, Ranking Drops)