Transparency International
Institution
Transparency International (TI) is a non-governmental organisation addressing corruption. The organisation was established in 1993 in Berlin, Germany, and consists of national boards (independent, local organisations), the International Secretariat (coordination and knowledge management centre), and the Board of Directors (governing body). TI works to reduce corruption around the world.
Datasets
- Corruption Perceptions Index
The TI CPI is the most well-known and widely used dataset from Transparency International. The composite index measures perceived corruption among public officials and politicians. - Global Corruption Barometer
The TI GCB is a yearly poll of the general public on perceived corruption among public officials in the respondents’ home country. - Bribe Payers Index
Contrary to the CPI and BPI, the TI BPI evaluates the supply side of corruption – the propensity of firms from industrialised countries to bribe abroad. The first edition was published in 2002, and the second one in 2006.
Due to the short time span and low publishing frequency of the TI BPI, the index is not examined here.
Corruption Perceptions Index
Website
Transparency InternationalFormat
PDF, Excel, On-screen tables
Timespan
1995-present
Coverage
178 countries
Last reviewed
24/11/11
Data types and sources
The CPI is a composite index, a poll of polls, drawing on corruption-related data from expert and business surveys carried out by a variety of independent institutions. It reflects views from around the world, including those of experts who are living in the countries evaluated.
Data download
TI - Corruption Perceptions Index
Topics
The index ranks countries in terms of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. The TI CPI focuses on corruption in the public sector and defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain.
Geographical coverage
The 2010 edition covers 178 countries.
Time coverage and updates
Years covered: 1995 to present. Updated annually. Last update: October 2010.
Documentation
The CPI 2010 draws on different polls and surveys from several independent institutions. Some sources do not allow disclosure of the data that they contribute; other sources are publicly available. A full list of survey sources, details on questions asked, and number of respondents are provided online for all of the editions of the CPI.
Access conditions and cost
Available free of charge.
Access procedures
Predefined tables. Users may only download separate lists for each yearly edition, and there is no option of constructing tables on your own. No comparable time-series data are available.
Data formats
On-screen tables. Download available in PDF and Excel.
Comparability and data quality
Transparency International urges users to employ caution when comparing scores over time (Transparency International 2007b). The index primarily provides a snapshot of the views of business people and country analysts for the current or recent years, with less focus on year-to-year trends. Year-to-year changes in a country’s score can either result from a changed perception of a country’s performance or from a change in the CPI’s sample and methodology. The only reliable way to compare a country’s score over time is to go back to individual survey sources, each of which can reflect a change in assessment. See Chapter 5 in Rydland et al. (2008: 78) for a general discussion of corruption indices.
