Ukraine ranks 107th in Transparency International’s report on global corruption. There is more corruption in Ukraine than Armenia (88th) but less than in Turkmenistan (156th). Russia ranks 126th. Last year, Ukraine was ranked 122nd, although three years ago it was 86th on the list.
The level of corruption in the former Soviet republics is disheartening. The Baltic countries of Estonia and Latvia have the least corruption (27th and 51st, respectively). Belarus and Kazakhstan share 107th place with Ukraine. Moldova is ranked 88th, and Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are both ranked 137th.
Like last year, the latest report by Transparency International says that Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, and Denmark are the least corrupt countries. Haiti, Myanmar, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh, and Chad show the highest corruption levels.
This year’s report is based on surveys of businesspeople, scholars, and experts. Transparency International is a non-governmental organization founded in 1993 by politicians and representatives of big business. It is known for its Corruption Perceptions Index, a yearly publication since 1995. This document “ranks countries in terms of experts’ perception of corruption.” A number of leading companies all over the world consult this report prior to investing.