G7 nations perceived as increasingly corrupt, NGO report says

The governments of Canada, France, Britain and the United States have become more corrupt in the eyes of experts and business executives, according to a global corruption index released Thursday.

"Frustration with government corruption and lack of trust in institutions speaks to a need for greater political integrity," said Transparency International head Delia Ferreira Rubio.

The Berlin-based organization's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranks countries and territories by perceived levels of government corruption on a scale of zero to 100, with zero indicating a highly corrupt public sector.

The performance of the Group of Seven (G7) top world economies suggested a lack of progress on corruption overall. Canada fell four points in the CPI ranking compared to 2018, while France and Britain fell by three points and the U.S. dropped two points. Germany and Japan saw no change, and Italy gained one point.

"Governments must urgently address the corrupting role of big money in political party financing and the undue influence it exerts on our political systems," Rubio said.

The U.S.' score dropped to 69 in this year's list – its lowest score in eight years.

Twenty-two countries saw their CPI scores improve significantly between 2012 and 2019, including Greece, Guyana and Estonia. CPI scores dropped significantly in 21 countries, notably Canada, Nicaragua and Australia.