Estonia achieves record high score in 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index

Estonia achieves record high score in 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index. Photo: Arvo Meeks

In Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index published on Tuesday, Estonia has achieved its highest score since 2012, tying with Canada for 12th place with 76 points.

Compared to 2016, Estonia's score has improved by six points, but progress in combating public sector corruption over the past five years remains modest.

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) assesses 180 countries and territories based on their perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring them from 0, indicating a highly corrupt nation, to 100, signifying a corruption-free country. The results reflect assessments by experts and business circles. In 2023, anti-corruption efforts have stalled or regressed in more than three-quarters of the evaluated countries.

Western Europe and the European Union remain the highest-scoring region, but for the first time in a decade, the average score of this region in 2023 has dropped from 66 to 65. Limited accountability of the people in power and political corruption erode public trust and allow narrow interests to play a significant role in political decision-making.

Several countries with strong democracies, including Sweden with 82 points, the Netherlands with 70 points, Iceland with 72 points, and the United Kingdom with 71 points, have received their lowest historical scores this time. In countries like Poland and Hungary, with scores of 54 and 42 points respectively, deficiencies in the judicial system hinder equal access to justice and restrain the judiciary's balancing role. Out of 31 countries in the European Union and Western Europe, only six, including Estonia, have significantly improved their scores since 2012, while eight have been on a declining trend.

"Although in 2023 Estonia appears to have moved in a positive direction and even achieved a highest-ever score in the index, unfortunately, looking at our anti-corruption activities over the past five years, we don't have much reason to pat ourselves on the back. While Estonia's score has grown by a solid 12 points since 2012, we have largely remained stagnant since 2019. This suggests that the gradual positive movement last year still came off the back of efforts in previous years," Miriam Tonismagi, acting executive director of Transparency International Estonia, said.

Estonia's notable anti-corruption initiatives in 2023 include developing an open governance roadmap and abolishing the so-called "roof monies", or allocation of regional investments. Meanwhile, a whistleblower protection law has still yet to be passed, amendments to the Political Parties Act are yet to be implemented, and regulations concerning lobbying at the levels of the parliament and local governments are still pending.

"The fact that several important changes in Estonia have been dragging on for years still leaves us with risks that endanger honest, responsible, and transparent governance, creating opportunities for conflicts of interest, undue influence, overly close intertwining of business interests and politics, and also more direct corrupt activities," Tonismagi said.

The Corruption Perceptions Index compiles results from up to 13 independent surveys and expert group assessments. The index does not cover private sector corruption and money laundering cases. The complete 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index results and regional analyses can be viewed on Transparency International's website.

Transparency International Estonia is the Estonian representative of the international anti-corruption movement Transparency International.