Corruption in Iceland

Corruption in Iceland describes the prevention and occurrence of corruption in Iceland.

Extent

According to several sources, corruption is not common on a daily basis in Iceland.^[1][2] However, the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent revelations have had a negative impact on the integrity and independence of Iceland's governing institutions.^[3]

Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index scored Iceland at 77 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"). When ranked by score, Iceland ranked 10th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector.^[4] For comparison with regional scores, the best score among Western European and European Union countries ^{[Note 1]} was 90, the average score was 64 and the worst score was 41.^[5] For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the average score was 43, and the worst score was 8 (ranked 180).^[6]

According to GRECO's evaluation report 2013, the Icelandic political system was weakened by potential nepotism, close personal relationships between public officials and businesses, and political patronage at the local level.^[7]

Notes

1. Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom