Feb 11 – Montenegro remains the best-ranked Western Balkan country in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published on Monday by Transparency International, while Kosovo and Albania showed improvement compared to last year’s edition.
According to the CPI, which measures perceived public sector corruption on a scale of 0-100, Montenegro scored 46 points, maintaining its position from 2023 and ranking 65th out of 180 countries.
Kosovo improved by three points to 44, placing 73rd globally, while Albania recorded the region’s biggest improvement, rising from 37 to 42 points and ranking 80th.
Meanwhile, North Macedonia dropped two points to 40, ranking 88th, Serbia fell one point to 35, placing 105th, and Bosnia and Herzegovina declined by two points to 33, ranking 114th.
“The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that corruption is a dangerous problem in every part of the world, but change for the better is happening in many countries,” Transparency International said in a statement.
While 32 countries have significantly reduced corruption levels since 2012, 148 nations have either stagnated or worsened in the same period, the report noted.
The CPI is compiled using at least three data sources from 13 corruption surveys and assessments conducted by institutions such as the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. The global average score is 43, while the European Union’s average stands at 64.
