The 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index, out today, "reinforces [the] link between poverty and corruption [and] shows the machinery of corruption remains well-oiled, despite improved legislation." Transparency International finds that corruption is "rampant" in almost half the countries on the list. Brazil and the US are among those with an increase in perceived corruption, while India and Turkey are perceived as less corrupt this year. Press release, data, and map.
Corruption is also strongly correlated with a country's position on our Doing Business rankings. Each procedure a business must follow represents an opportunity for a bribe. Fewer interactions with government bureaucrats, less opportunity for corruption. I took a quick look and plotted all countries that are ranked in both indices - my graph is after the jump.
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