Measuring corruption as a means to fight it

The 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index is a useful reminder that no country is immune to the effects of corruption.

As Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International notes in the video message below, "Looking at this year’s Corruption Perceptions Index, few would fail to recognise corruption as a central major threat facing humanity, one that destroys lives and communities and undermines countries and institutions." She adds, "People are more aware of the cost of corruption, generating anger that threatens to further destabilise societies and exacerbate violent conflicts."

The Corruption Perceptions Index scores countries on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). While no country has a perfect score, the majority of countries score below 50, indicating a serious corruption problem. This translates into human suffering, with poor families being extorted for bribes to see doctors or to get access to clean drinking water.

Watch Huguette Labelle’s statement announcing the launch of the 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index:

The importance of measuring corruption

Finding ways to measure corruption in societies provides a solid foundation for designing reforms that can put a stop to it.

In this short clip, Transparency International's Robin Hodess discusses how research informs our work to counter corruption around the world. She explains, "To find the solutions we need in all of our societies, we need evidence about how corruption works."

You can learn more about the research behind the Corruption Perceptions Index here.