The annual index from Transparency International looks at 182 countries and territories, giving each a score between zero and 100. The higher the score, the cleaner a country’s public sector is perceived to be by experts and businesspeople.

Portugal’s score fell by one point compared with the previous year, although it remains above the global average of 42.

It also performed better than neighbouring Spain, which scored 55 and ranked 49th, and Italy, which scored 53 and came 52nd. France was further up the table in 27th place with 66 points.

Portugal loses a point

Portugal’s 56-point result leaves it alongside Costa Rica and Grenada in 46th place.

The change itself is small. Transparency International cautions that a movement of a single point does not necessarily mean corruption has measurably increased. Small year-to-year fluctuations can occur, and the organisation places more weight on longer-term and statistically significant changes.

That distinction matters because the index doesn’t count proven cases of corruption.

Instead, it draws on a number of independent sources to measure how public-sector corruption is perceived by experts and people in business. Issues covered by its underlying assessments include bribery, misuse of public funds, conflicts of interest and the ability of governments to enforce anti-corruption measures.

Denmark remains at the top

Denmark once again recorded the highest score in the world, with 89 points, followed by Finland with 88 and Singapore with 84.

New Zealand and Norway shared fourth place on 81, while Sweden and Switzerland both scored 80. Germany was joint tenth with Iceland on 77.

Portugal sits considerably further down the European table but still above a number of fellow EU members, including Spain, Italy, Poland, Greece, Malta, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary.

The broader picture isn’t particularly encouraging.

Transparency International found that the global average has fallen to a record low of 42 points. Of the 182 countries and territories assessed, 122 scored below 50.

The organisation says corruption remains a problem even in countries with traditionally strong democratic institutions. It points to weakening checks on political power, pressure on civil society and declining accountability as some of the problems affecting progress.

Only 31 countries have significantly improved their corruption scores since 2012. The remainder have either stayed broadly where they were or become worse.

For Portugal, this year’s result is not a dramatic fall. A one-point movement is too small to support that conclusion. But a score of 56 also leaves the country some distance behind Europe’s strongest performers, with little sign of meaningful progress in the latest figures.