Five Arab countries among top ten most corrupted states in 2013

According to the Corruption Perceptions Index of Transparency International, five Arab countries rank among the top ten most corrupted states around the world in 2013.

Transparency International, a UK-based organisation that campaigns against corruption, annually measures the corruption levels of 177 countries around the world at all levels.

In 2013, the index showed that more than two thirds of the 177 countries measured scored below 50 on a scale from 0, perceived to be highly corrupt, to 100, perceived to be very clean.

Among the ten most corrupted states are Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Iraq and Syria.

Denmark and New Zealand took first and second place respectively as the least corrupted countries. Finland and Switzerland tied for third place and Norway took fifth place.

Germany took 12th place, one level better than last year, while Japan moved down one position to 18th. The US and China both scored the same level as last year, the former placing 19th and the latter 80th.