In the latest corruption index published by NGO Transparency International, Belgium retains its 16th position out of 180 countries. The report identifies Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, and

Norway as the least corrupt nations.

Transparency International conducts an annual assessment of corruption in the global public sector. Countries receive scores ranging from 0 (very corrupt) to 100 (corruption-free) based on expert evaluations. Belgium secured 73 points out of 100, maintaining the same score as in the previous two years.

Leading the list are Denmark with 90 points, followed by Finland with 87, New Zealand with 85, Norway with 84, and Singapore with 83. At the bottom of the index are Somalia (11), Venezuela (13), Syria (13), and South Sudan (13). Among EU nations, Hungary has the lowest score at 42, ranking 76th, a decline attributed to Prime Minister Viktor Orban. In 2012, Hungary scored 55 points.

The report notes that over two-thirds of countries on the list score below 50 out of 100, indicating serious corruption issues. The global average stands at 43. The majority of countries showed no improvement or experienced deterioration, with 23 nations recording their lowest scores since the index's inception in 1995. Notable among them are Sweden (82), the Netherlands (79), Iceland (72), and the UK (71).

Transparency International highlighted that weak accountability and political corruption undermine the rule of law, particularly in Europe, where people are losing faith in institutions. In some cases, small interest groups exert excessive control over political decisions, while in others, governments target journalists, whistleblowers, and watchdogs. Photo by Oakenchips, Wikimedia commons.