The UK dropped seven places down the global corruption league table – the biggest slide among the world’s leading economies – following a string of political and public spending scandals.
Britain fell seven places to 18th on Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index, representing the biggest fall among the G7 countries.
The closely watched index was published two days after Rishi Sunak sacked the Conservative party chair, Nadhim Zahawi, after revelations over his tax affairs.
The index grades a country from zero to 100, the latter being perceived as least corrupt. The UK scored 73, sliding from 78 a year earlier.
Qatar, which faced criticism over its treatment of workers in the run-up to the World Cup, dropped nine spots to 40th place. Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand remained at the top of the list, while Somalia, Syria, and South Sudan were at the bottom.
