Thailand dropped to 36 points, one lower than the year before, in Transparency International’s 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index released on Tuesday.
The index ranges from 100 (very clean) to 0 (very corrupt).
Thailand ranked joint No.99 -- with the Philippines -- out of 180 countries and territories in the survey. Among its Southeast Asian neighbours, the kingdom’s 36 points compared -- in descending order of "cleanliness" -- to Singapore’s 85 (down 1 point from a year earlier), Malaysia’s 47 (no change), Indonesia’s 38 (down 1), Philippines’ 36 (up 2), Vietnam’s 33 (down 2), Myanmar’s 29 (down 1), and Cambodia’s 20 (down 1). The worldwide average score was 43.
The index is calculated using 13 different data sources that provide perceptions of public sector corruption from business people and country experts.
Transparency International said its Corruption Perceptions Index for 2018 showed more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50 on its scale.
With a score of 71, the US lost four points over 2017 and dropped out of the top 20 nations for the first time since 2011.
In a cross-analysis of its survey with global democracy data, Transparency said a link could be drawn between corruption and the health of a democracy.
“Our research makes a clear link between having a healthy democracy and successfully fighting public sector corruption,” said Delia Ferreira Rubio, the head of Transparency. “Corruption is much more likely to flourish where democratic foundations are weak and, as we have seen in many countries, where undemocratic and populist politicians can use it to their advantage.”
Overall, Denmark led the survey as the least corrupt nation, with a score of 88, followed by New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland. Rounding out the top group were Norway, Netherlands, Canada, Luxembourg, Germany and Britain.
Somalia was rated the most corrupt with a score of 10, followed by Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, North Korea, Sudan, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Afghanistan and Libya.
