LONDON, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Somalia was considered the most corrupt nation in the world in a 2010 assessment followed closely by Myanmar and Afghanistan, Transparency International said.
Transparency International released its 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. The survey found that nearly 75 percent of the 178 countries included in the index were considered corrupt.
"These results indicate a serious corruption problem," the organization said in the report.
On a scale from 0 to 10 with 0 considered "highly corrupt," Somalia came in last with a score of 1.1. Afghanistan and Myanmar tied for second-to-last with a score of 1.4, followed by Iraq with a score of 1.5.
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Somalia hasn't had a functioning government in decades, while Iraq and Afghanistan are coping with years of U.S.-led war. Myanmar has been under military rule since the 1960s.
The scores, the organization said, are a reflection of the extent and frequency of such corrupt practices as bribes in the public and political sectors of the country in question.
The report found that Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore scored highest with scores of 9.3, with Finland and Sweden close behind with a score of 9.2
The United Kingdom came in 20th while Canada was sixth and the United States tied for 22nd. France was 25th, China 78th, Mexico 98th and Russia 154th.
Transparency International said it witnessed general declines in the overall level of corruption, which it blamed in part on economic declines across the globe.
"The message is clear: across the globe, transparency and accountability are critical to restoring trust and turning back the tide of corruption," the report read. "Without them, global policy solutions to many global crises are at risk."
