Transparency International has released the Corruption Perceptions Index 2019 today, in which Armenia ranks 77th among 180 countries. It is a significant improvement on the country’s 105th rank in 2018.

The index ranks countries on a 100-point scale, where 0 reflects the highest perception of corruption and 100 stands for the lowest.

Armenia scored 42 points in 2019 against 35 in 2018.

“Armenia recorded the level of growth in 2019, which we have not seen since 2013. It is mainly related to the velvet Revolution of 2018 and election of a new parliament. At the same time, the experts note that despite the positive development, conflict of interest and lack of transparency and accountability in certain public processes remain an issue. Our index is not that good: if we take 50 as the minimal bar, we still have a lot to do,” Head of Executive Director of Transparency International Anticorruption Center Varuzhan Hoktanyan has told the press.

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan touched on the new index at today’s government session.

“In 2020, we have to focus on the fight against corruption, which is directly linked with the judicial reforms. We have to finally cross the line, the border that keeps us, so to say, among average countries. We are not satisfied with that position, of course,” he said.

Top three countries as ranked by the Transparency International Index are New Zealand (87), Denmark (87) and Finland (86). On the opposite side of the scale, Somali scored 9, South Sudan scored 12 and Syria scored 13.

In South Caucasus, Georgia has the highest score of 56, which placed it 44th.

Turkey sits 91st with 39 points, Azerbaijan is 126th with 30 points, and Iran is 146th with 26 points.

Belarus scored 45 points this year and ranked 66th. Russia is 137th with 28 points and Kazakhstan is 113rd with 34 points.