India ranks 76th, which is much better than its previous rankings of 85 (of 175 countries) and 94 (of 177 countries) in 2014 and 2013, respectively. But, before you say ‘hallelujah’, here’s a downer. India’s score is a poor 38 out of 100, the same as it was last year.

The watchdog arrives at the CPI index after analysing data from several institutions including the World Bank, the African Development Bank and business school IMD, as well as compiling the perceptions of public sector corruption in every country. The index grades a country on a scale of zero to 100, the latter being the least corrupt.

Here are the top 5 least corrupt countries

1. Denmark

It’s for the second consecutive time that Denmark has remained at the top of the index. While the Scandinavian country scored 91 points on the latest list, last year it had led the pack with 92 points. 

2. Finland

Finland jumped up one point from its previous year’s score to make it as the second least corrupt country. It hadn’t moved beyond the score of 90 on the index since 2012. 

3. Sweden

Another Scandinavian country that improved its score is Sweden, which garnered 89 points on the index, jumping two points from 2014. The country’s current score is the same that it had received in 2013. 

4. New Zealand 

The island country features fourth on the list with 88 points. But worryingly, this year’s points indicate the country’s deteriorating transparency in public sector. This is the first time since 2012 that New Zealand’s points on the index have gone below 90. 

5.   Netherlands 

Making a four point jump from its previous year’s record, Netherlands has clinched the fifth spot on the CPI index with 87 points. The country had scored 83 and 84 points in 2013 and 2012, respectively. 

Here are the 5 most corrupt countries

1. Somalia and North Korea

With a miserly score of 8 points out of 100 on the CPI index, war-torn Somalia and communist state North Korea share the spot for the most corrupt country. Interestingly, both the countries haven’t passed beyond the score of 8 on the index since 2012. 

2. Afghanistan

Showing a direct correlation between conflict and corruption, the CPI index puts strife-torn Afghanistan as second last on the list with 11 points. This year’s record shows a one-point decline from 2014. 

3. Sudan

Though the African nation has shown a one-point increase in its grade since 2014, it’s hardly any improvement at all. With poverty and hunger killing its citizens on a daily basis, the lack of accountability in the country’s public sector is plaguing relief and development efforts by aid agencies in the country. 

4. South Sudan and Angola

The newly carved out nation South Sudan is the fourth most corrupt country, a position it shares with Angola. While South Sudan maintained its previous year’s record of 15 points, Angola showed a steep decrease in score from 19 in 2014 to 15 in 2015.  

5. Libya

Still in the throes of civil war after the killing of military dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s road to stability has been marred by violence and the looming Middle-East crisis. According to the CPI index, Libya is the fifth most corrupt country in the world with a low score of 16. 

Check out this interactive map to find which country stands where

Feature image source: AFP/Representational Image