Canada ranks among the least corrupt countries in the world, while Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia are among the most crooked, according to a new report released Wednesday by a non-profit organization that tracks political corruption.
The annual Corruption Perceptions Index by Berlin-based watchdog Transparency International ranked the public sectors of 174 countries and territories based on the data collected from over a dozen groups, including the World Bank.
According to the data, Denmark, Finland and New Zealand ranked in a three-way tie as the least corrupt countries in the world.
Bottom placeholder Somalia elected a new government in September and may be on the way to better performance under a new regime led by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
For the sixth year in a row Canada placed in the top 10 least corrupt countries, tied for ninth with the Netherlands. Among the Americas, however, Canada was on top, ahead of Barbados and the United States.
Six European countries, including all four that make up northern Europe's Scandinavian region, cracked the top 10 list for least corrupt. Greece was the worst among European Union countries at 94th overall, but across the European continent, Ukraine was perceived as the most corrupt at 144th.
The index is tabulated from sources dating back to 2011, before the recent wave of corruption allegations in Canada that has toppled political leaders in Quebec and Ontario.
