Corruption perception index for 2020

The Corruption Perception Index for Bulgaria is 44 points which ranks the country on 69 places in world rankings and place it on last place in European Union. Bulgaria is in last place together with Hungary and Romania in it fight against corruption.

Compared with 2019 the index marked a slight increase of 1 point. That change is not statistically significant because when we measure the index, and the results show 50 points below in the CPI that is an indicator of a systematic problem with corruption and ineffective fight with corruption. To make significant progress, it is necessary to improve the work of the institutions.

Untimely reforms in key areas and ineffective investigation of corruption are part of the negative assessments that our country receives on the basis of research, reports and analytical assessments by international research and financial institutions. Ineffective and non-transparent spending of public resources in connection with COVID 19 pandemic, the reduced level of transparency and accountability of the institutions and limited opportunities for civil control over the institutions, unstable media environment with concentration of media ownership and political pressure on the media.

Western Europe and the EU score among the highest counties on the CPI with Denmark (88) hitting the top spot, followed by Finland (85), Sweden (85) and Switzerland (85).

Across the region, the COVID-19 pandemic has put additional and unexpected pressure on the integrity systems of many countries, making it a “political” crisis that threatens the future of liberal democracy. The pandemic has tested the limits of Europe’s emergency response and in many cases, countries have fallen short of full transparency and accountability. In Norway (84) the government declared a state of emergency that challenged constitutional regulations. Following constitutional states of emergency in France (69), Hungary (44) Italy (53) and Spain (62), Democracy Reporting International called out governments for significant human rights restrictions. In addition, due to COVID-19 elections have been delayed in at least 11 counties.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed serious issues related to the rule of law across the region with corruption further weakening democracies.

To read more details about the Corruption Perceptions Index for Bulgaria, please visit the Bulgarian section of the site.

Here are the results from the index, as well as some additional assets provided by Transparency International.