Israel was ranked 32nd in the organization's index, a slight improvement from the year before, when it ranked 33rd
According to the 2009 Transparency International's annual survey of perceived levels of public-sector corruption Israel ranked 32nd in the organization's index, a slight improvement from the year before, when it ranked 33rd (the lower the ranking, the morecorrupt the country is perceived as being). Israel received a score of 6.1 out of 10.
Israel was ranked 33rd in 2008, with a score of 6, and was ranked 30th in 2007, with a score of 6.1.
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) measures the perceived level of public-sector and political corruption in 180 countries and territories around the world, with "corruption" being defined as the abuse of public office for private gain.
The CPI ranks 180 countries based on perceived levels of public sector corruption. The CPI scores countries on a scale of zero to ten, with zero indicating high levels of corruption and ten, low levels.
The composite index is based on 13 surveys conducted by 11 different research institutions, which processed responses from 28,000 businesspeople and experts both in Israel and around the world.
This year, Israel shared 32nd place with Spain, with a grade of 6.1, and is ranked below the United Arab Emirates, in 30th place with a score of 6.5, and Qatar, 22nd, with a score of 7.
Nine of the top ten countries in the CPI are members of the OECD. New Zealand is in first place, with a score of 9.4, the first time it has been in first place since 1997.
Denmark is in second place, with a score of 9.2; followed by Singapore (the exception) and Sweden with a score of 9.2; Switzerland in fifth place, with a score of 9; Finland, and the Netherlands tied in sixth place, with a score 8.9%; and Australia, Canada, and Iceland tied in eighth place, with a score of 8.7.
The US is ranked 19th, with a score of 7.5. Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma) and Sudan were seen by survey participants as the most corrupt.
India and China, where many Israeli companies have extensive commercial ties, scored 3.4 and 3.6, respectively, putting them in 84th and 79th place. Russia is in 146th place, with a score of 2.2, tied with Cameroon, East Timor, Ecuador, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe. Iran is ranked in 141st place, with a score of 2.3.
