For the second consecutive year, Brazil has experienced a deterioration in corruption perception, falling ten positions in the annual ranking compiled by Transparency International, a global organization dedicated to corruption related matters. Brazil’s score reached 36 points, two points lower than in 2022, placing the country in the 104th position out of 180 nations evaluated. The data were released on Tuesday (30/01/2024).
The Corruption Perception Index (CPI) measures how experts and businesspeople perceive the integrity of the public sector in 180 surveyed countries, ranging from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates “highly corrupt,” and 100 “very clean”.
Brazil now is positioned below global averages (43 points), the Americas (43), and nations with considered “flawed” democracies. The score reflects perceptions of businesspeople and experts about the public sector in countries, aggregating data from various sources.
According to the organization, the result is not a reflection of an isolated event but rather a historical process related to the dismantling of legal and institutional frameworks for combating corruption and perceptions of the lack of independence in the justice systems – which ends up having “a significant impact on the ability of the State to confront and prevent corruption” without bias.
Faced with this scenario, Transparency International presented several recommendations to Brazil, including increased participation of civil society in anti-corruption public policies and inter-institutional coordination. It also emphasizes the importance of ensuring maximum transparency in public investment programs and strengthening corporate governance mechanisms, with the public sector serving as an example to be replicated in the private sector.
The international body also recommends zero tolerance for the appointment of individuals investigated or prosecuted for corruption to high government positions and the pursuit of greater independence, inclusion, and diversity in the Courts.
