Zimbabwe’s score has dropped to 21, a decline of 3 points from last year, placing it 158th out of 180 countries.

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) measures the perceived level of corruption in a country’s public sector, on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

The CPI takes into account factors like bribery, the diversion of public funds, officials using their positions for personal gain, excessive red tape, and nepotism.

It also evaluates whether laws require public officials to disclose their finances, offer legal protection for whistleblowers, and ensure public access to government information.

Zimbabwe’s performance has worsened since its 2015 low point, with its score improving slightly in subsequent years. The country reached its best performance in 2023 with a score of 24 but has since slipped back.

The CPI, the most widely used global corruption ranking, is based on at least three data sources from 13 different corruption surveys and assessments. These sources include institutions such as the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.

Denmark has topped the CPI for the seventh consecutive year, with scores of 90, followed by Finland and Singapore with 88 and 84, respectively.

New Zealand, with a score of 83, remained in the top 10 despite falling out of the top three for the first time since 2012.

In contrast, countries with ongoing conflict, restricted freedoms, and weak democratic institutions dominate the bottom of the CPI.

South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela occupy the last three positions, with Syria, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Yemen, Nicaragua, Sudan, and North Korea rounding out the lowest scorers.