The Corruption Perceptions Index, published on Thursday, ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, according to experts and business people. Transparency International says that the 2019 analysis shows corruption is more pervasive in countries where big money can flow freely into electoral campaigns and where governments listen only to the voices of wealthy or well-connected individuals. Transparency International chair Delia Ferreira Rubio said that “Governments must urgently address the corrupting role of big money in political party financing and the undue influence it exerts on our political systems.”

Luxembourg retains its ninth position in the least susceptible rankings, though it lost one point from its 2018 rating. With a total of 80 points, it is tied with Germany. Of the grand duchy’s other neighbours, Belgium places 17th with 75 points and France is 23rd with 69 points (which places it level with the United States).

Denmark and New Zealand top the rankings with 87 points each. Indeed, the Nordic economies stand out as leaders on the CPI, with Denmark (87), Finland (86), Sweden (85), Norway (84) and Iceland (78) taking five of the top 11 places. But Transparency International warns that even in those countries and other high-ranking places like Switzerland, “integrity at home does not always translate into integrity abroad, and multiple scandals in 2019 demonstrated that transnational corruption is often facilitated, enabled and perpetuated by seemingly clean Nordic countries.”

The report also points to Canada, Angola and Saudi Arabia as “countries to watch”. Scoring 77 points, Canada has lost four points since 2018 and, more significantly, seven points since 2012. “Low enforcement of anti-corruption laws is evident in the recent case against SNC-Lavalin,” the report states. While Saudi Arabia improved by four points to 53, Transparency International says its score “does not reflect its dismal human rights record and severe restrictions on journalists, political activists and other citizens.”