A leading international NGO has said that Switzerland suffers from “widespread nepotism” and corruption, despite remaining one of the least corrupt countries in the world. Transparency International has called on the Swiss government to ban nepotism and regulate lobbying. 

Transparency International Corruption Perception Index 2022

The Corruption Perception Index (CPI), compiled by Transparency International, annually assesses levels of corruption across 180 countries and territories around the world. The ranking rates countries on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. 

The average corruption index globally has stayed at just 43 out of 100 for the past decade. In their report, the organisation blamed increasing international insecurity and conflict for the failure of many countries in their efforts to tackle corruption. 

Switzerland ranked seventh globally for corruption

Switzerland came in seventh place in the global ranking in 2022. While this is a strong score and means that the alpine nation is a relatively clean country, there is still room for improvement. Specifically, the organisation noted that different Swiss cantons need to take more action to help enforce national laws set by the federal government, especially when it comes to lobbying and nepotism. 

The report also noted that Switzerland should handle conflicts of interest better, and that while the data focused on corruption in the public sector, it recommended that Switzerland takes steps to address corruption in the private sector too. Transparency International also called on the Swiss government to combat money laundering in the country, as well as provide adequate protection for whistleblowers. 

Top ten least and most corrupt countries in the world 2022

According to Transparency International, these are the top 10 least corrupt countries in the world. 

• 1. Denmark
• 2. Finland
• 3. New Zealand
• 4. Norway
• 5. Singapore
• 6. Sweden
• 7. Switzerland
• 8. The Netherlands
• 9. Germany
• 10. Ireland & Luxembourg

And these are the 10 most corrupt:

• 1. Somalia
• =2. Syria
• =2. South Sudan
• 3. Venezuela
• 4. Yemen
• =5. Libya
• =5. North Korea
• =5. Haiti
• =5. Equatorial Guinea
• =5. Burundi

For the full ranking, see the Transparency International website.