India improves on transparency corruption index, scores 40 out of 100

BERLIN: India has marginally improved its ranking in the graft watchdog Transparency International's corruption perception index for 2016, a list topped by New Zealand and Denmark.

The Berlin-based anti-graft organisation has used World Bank data, the World Economic Forum and other institutions to rank 176 countries by perceived levels of corruption in public sector. The score runs from zero, which is highly corrupt, to 100, which is very clean. India, China and Brazil with a score of 40 each figured in the 10 key economies in the mid-range.

India's score has improved by two points from 38 in 2015. Latest rankings put New Zealand and Denmark in joint first place with a score of 90, followed by Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Singapore, Netherlands and Canada.

At the bottom of the index, Somalia was ranked the most corrupt country. Other countries with lower rankings - which typically point to badly performing public institutions, bribery or corruption - were Syria, South Sudan, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq.