Egypt has ranked #117 out of 180 in Transparency International’s 2020 Corruption Perception Index (pdf), falling 11 spots from 106 last year. Egypt came in with a score of 33 in this year’s index, down from 35 in 2019. The index focuses on the perceived levels of public sector corruption around the world, giving a score from 0 to 100 to each country, with 0 being “highly corrupt” and 100 being “very clean.” Denmark and New Zealand tied for the spot of “cleanest” countries with a score of 88, while Somalia and South Sudan both occupied the last places with a score of 12.

In MENA, the UAE fared best with a score of 71, followed by Qatar (63). Libya, Yemen and Syria came in last. The average regional score stood at 39.

Globally, more than two-thirds of the examined countries scored below 50. The report voiced concerns about corruption in the healthcare sector, especially with the spread of the pandemic, and called on governments to hold state institutions accountable and make public procurement more transparent.