The European Union's member states have widely differing experiences when it comes to corruption and the rle of law. While some states such as Denmark and Finland show extremely low levels of corruption, others find the issue to be one of the key challenges facing their countries.
For Malta, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary, the issue of domestic corruption is particularly severe, as they are ranked as the bottom five member states in Transparency International's corruption perceptions index in 2022. In these EU member states, officials in public administration or the justice system are more likely to be swayed by bribes and citizens' civil and political liberties are less likely to be respected.
Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria have seen a slight increase in their scores over the past decade, while for Hungary and Malta the situation with corruption has significantly deteriorated. Hungary in particular has seen its score fall from 55 in 2012 to only 42 in 2022, as the country's illiberal Prime Minister Viktor Orban has implemented reforms to the media, judiciary, and political system which have substantially worsened corruption.
Annual Corruption Perceptions Index scores for the five worst performing European Union member states from 2012 to 2022
(Index score from 0 to 100)
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Eurostat. (February 14, 2023). Annual Corruption Perceptions Index scores for the five worst performing European Union member states from 2012 to 2022 (Index score from 0 to 100) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1377633/rule-of-law-eu-worst-performing-corruption-perceptions-index/
Eurostat. "Annual Corruption Perceptions Index scores for the five worst performing European Union member states from 2012 to 2022 (Index score from 0 to 100)." Chart. February 14, 2023. Statista. Accessed December 12, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1377633/rule-of-law-eu-worst-performing-corruption-perceptions-index/
Eurostat. (2023). Annual Corruption Perceptions Index scores for the five worst performing European Union member states from 2012 to 2022 (Index score from 0 to 100). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 12, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1377633/rule-of-law-eu-worst-performing-corruption-perceptions-index/
Eurostat. "Annual Corruption Perceptions Index Scores for The Five Worst Performing European Union Member States from 2012 to 2022 (Index Score from 0 to 100)." Statista, Statista Inc., 14 Feb 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1377633/rule-of-law-eu-worst-performing-corruption-perceptions-index/
Eurostat, Annual Corruption Perceptions Index scores for the five worst performing European Union member states from 2012 to 2022 (Index score from 0 to 100) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1377633/rule-of-law-eu-worst-performing-corruption-perceptions-index/ (last visited December 12, 2024)
Annual Corruption Perceptions Index scores for the five worst performing European Union member states from 2012 to 2022 (Index score from 0 to 100) [Graph], Eurostat, February 14, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1377633/rule-of-law-eu-worst-performing-corruption-perceptions-index/