Albania has lost 7 positions since last year as citizens' and public opinion's perception of the presence of corruption has increased over the last four years. Bosnia and Herzegovina rank better than Albania, despite falling by six points in the last seven years and is considered the strongest decline in the Balkans.
The Transparency International index assesses how effective anti-corruption measures are in key institutions and areas, including branches of government, the judiciary, the media, the public, and private sectors and civil society. Justice reform by Transparency International experts is considered a good start to the fight against corruption, but the delay in establishing key structures such as the SPAK and the Bureau of Investigation has contributed to the poor assessment received last year.
According to data published by Transparency International, Albania has experienced a negative trend in the level of perception of corruption, down by seven countries compared to a year ago. Albania is ranked 106th out of the 180 countries surveyed in this year's index, while previously ranked 99th.
The results of the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2019 move Kosovo further down the world scale. Kosovo with 36 points this year has lost another point in the rating system from 37 in 2018 and as a result of 93rd place it to 101st. Comparing the results for the countries in the region shows that none of the countries in the region have increased compared to the previous year.
The report lists North Macedonia as a state with high corruption. Since last year, the country has fallen sharply by 13 positions, while for experts this is clear evidence that the system is extremely fragile. Serbia dropped from 87th to 91st, while Montenegro improved to 66th. Greece has also made a significant improvement, ranking 60th.
In terms of world rankings, the countries with the least corruption are New Zealand and Denmark, followed by Finland, Singapore, Sweden, and Switzerland. At the bottom of the list as the most corrupt countries are Somalia, South Sudan and Syria. Western Europe and the EU remain the region with the lowest level of corruption, with the highest level in African countries.