According to the Index for the Perception of Corruption, 2012, announced in Berlin by Transparency International, the Dominican Republic appears amongst the countries with high levels of corruption.
This year, the country is in 118th place out of 176, equal with Ecuador, with a score of 32 out of a possible 100.
Three countries take first place for being the most honest, with 90 points and those are Denmark, Finland and New Zealand.
In the Americas, Canada takes top spot with 84 points, in 9th position, while the United States is in 19th place with 73 points.
In Latin America, a region usually regarded as corrupt, Chile and Uruguay stand out with 72 points each and also above 50 are Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and some of the English-speaking Caribbean Islands.
The Dominican Republic is perceived as having rampant corruption, notwithstanding there are five countries in the region that are perceived as worse, namely Nicaragua (29 points), Honduras (28), Paraguay (25), Haiti (19) and Venezuela (19 points).
Due to the fact that the methodology has changed and been refined for 2012, it is not possible to make a comparison to previous years.
http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2012/
www.eldia.com.do/nacionales/2012/12/5/101004/Republica-Dominicana-sigue-entre-los-paises-mas-corruptos-segun-estudio