Report: Anti-corruption fight is stalled, COVID not helping

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — A closely watched study by an anti-corruption organization finds that most countries have made little to no progress in bringing down corruption levels over the past decade. It also says authorities’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic in many places has weighed on accountability. Transparency International’s 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures the perception of public sector corruption, found that “increasingly, rights and checks and balances are being undermined not only in countries with systemic corruption and weak institutions, but also among established democracies.” It said Denmark, New Zealand and Finland tied for first place, and the United States dropped out of the top 25 for the first time to 27th place.