Canada slips down global corruption ranking - CTV.ca

For the third year in a row, Canada has slid down a list that ranks countries by perceived levels of corruption.

The country fell from 6th to 10th place on Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which relies on data to sort 183 countries according to how shady their public sectors are perceived to be.

Countries also receive scores from 10 (very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt).

This year, Canada sits below Switzerland and Australia which share 8th place on the scale. All three of the countries are still several notches away from New Zealand, which snatched first place.

Though this Canada's worst ranking in five years, the nation is still considered "very clean" on Transparency International's corruption index.

For instance, the nation is still in a more desirable position than Somalia or North Korea, which tied for dead last in the poll. On the list, they've both been deemed "highly corrupt."

While it's true that Canada continues to slide down the rankings, the country's overall score has held steady with the exception of its 2010 score.

• 8.7 in 2011 (Ranked 10th)
• 8.9 in 2010 (Ranked 6th)
• 8.7 in 2009 (Ranked 8th)
• 8.7 in 2008 (Ranked 9th)
• 8.7 in 2007 (Ranked 9th)

In the very least, Canadians can take solace in the fact that they are no longer in 14th place as they were in 2006.

That doesn't mean the nation has been spared from Transparency International's criticism.

Last May, the Berlin-based watchdog scolded Canada for being among the worst of nearly 40 countries in its bribery enforcement rankings.

The country was singled out for failing to crackdown on bribery abroad and bottoming out the bribery report every year since the agency first started issuing them in 2005.

Responding to the most recent corruption report, Transparency International chair Huguette Labelle said world leaders would be wise to pay attention to the rankings.

"This year we have seen corruption on protestors' banners be they rich or poor," she said in a release. "Whether in a Europe hit by debt crisis or an Arab world starting a new political era, leaders must heed the demands for better government."

The 10 "cleanest" countries on the 2011 corruption index:

1. New Zealand (Score: 9.5)
2. Denmark and Finland (9.4)
   
3. n/a
4. Sweden (9.3)
5. Singapore (9.2)
6. Norway (9.0)
7. Netherlands (8.9)
8. Australia and Switzerland (8.8)
9. n/a
10. Canada (8.7)
    

Note: Some countries received the same score and therefore share a ranking.