Transparency International has published its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks countries based on their perceived levels of corruption.

The CPI scores nations from 0 to 100, with lower scores indicating higher levels of corruption.

For the 2022 report, Denmark maintained its position at the top with a score of 90, followed by Finland at 88, which marked an improvement of one point from the previous year.

Singapore secured third place with a score of 84, narrowly ahead of New Zealand.

Hungary, with a score of 41 for 2022, has been ranked last among European Union member states for three consecutive years.

This places Hungary at 82nd out of 180 countries evaluated in the report, just below the global average score of 43.

At the lower end of the index, South Sudan and Somalia hold the positions of the most corrupt countries with scores of 8 and 9, respectively.

Other countries such as Venezuela and Syria also feature low scores of 10 and 12.

While Hungary is noted as the most corrupt country within the EU, it is not the most corrupt in Europe.

Russia, with a score of 22, ranks significantly below Hungary.

Other neighboring Balkan nations, including North Macedonia (40), Serbia (35), and Ukraine (35), as well as Turkey (34), Belarus (33), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (33), also score below Hungary.

In the broader regional context, Hungary's score lags behind many of its neighbors.

The following are CPI scores for selected Central and Eastern European countries:
- Austria: 67
- Slovenia: 60
- Czech Republic: 56
- Poland: 53
- Slovakia: 49
- Croatia: 47
- Romania: 46

Interestingly, while Austria leads the region in terms of least perceived corruption, it has seen a notable decline, dropping 10 points since 2019. Conversely, Albania has shown an upward trend, improving by eight points over the past three years and surpassing Hungary for the first time this year.

In contrast, Hungary has been on a downward trajectory since 2012 when it scored 56 points.