Ukraine has dropped in the Corruption Perceptions Index ranking! Has Ukraine become more corrupt?

Have you seen similar headlines?  On February 11, Transparency International published its annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2024, according to which Ukraine received 35 points. Compared to last year’s ranking, Ukraine lost one point and dropped from 104th place to 105th.

However, despite the loud headlines in some media, there are actually a number of factors why we could have dropped one place in the ranking. Experts of the Center of Policy and Legal Reform explained it in more detail – here are the key points.

First, the Corruption Perceptions Index does not reflect the level of corruption in a country, but rather shows how it looks in the eyes of business representatives and experts from around the world. 

The CPI has been calculated annually by the global organization Transparency International since 1995, and Ukraine has been participating in it since 1998. In 2012, the methodology for calculating the Index was updated, which is still used with certain adjustments. Back then, according to the updated methodology, Ukraine was ranked 144th out of 176, receiving 26 index points.

Secondly, it is too early to talk about a downward trend: throughout the entire period of observation, a certain drawdown of our country’s indicators was observed three more times – in 2013, 2019 and 2021. Transparency International itself emphasizes that this year’s methodology has been refined, so the results of some countries may have changed slightly for purely technical reasons.

Thirdly, the methodology is peculiar in that the Index is calculated on the basis of data from 13 sources, which are selected according to established criteria and standardized. At the same time, the research period of these sources ranges from 2021 to 2024, so they may not cover the latest events and trends that have affected the country’s anti-corruption climate. 

The events that negatively affected Ukraine’s SRI include mostly isolated corruption scandals that received wide media coverage and are not systemic. On the other hand, the events that had a positive impact include systemic measures, the impact of which will be objectively felt in the long run. 

In general, since 2012, Ukraine has demonstrated a steady improvement in its position in the Corruption Perceptions Index. This indicates that despite minor setbacks in anti-corruption reform and some resistance from corrupt officials, Ukraine is making efforts to reduce corruption and is taking effective measures.

Interestingly, according to the annual standardized survey of citizens and businesses conducted by the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, the Corruption Perceptions Index has not changed much over the past 5 years. Keeping in mind that both indices are about the perception of corruption, we can assume that they are to some extent influenced by rather expressive and unsupported by analytics public statements about the total corruption of a particular body, sector or the state as a whole.