PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Barbados has emerged as the least corrupt country in the Caribbean, according to the 2009 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released by Transparency International.

The island is ranked at number 20, with a confidence rate of 6.6 to 8.2, while St. Lucia was placed at number 22 followed by St Vincent and the Grenadines at 31.

Dominica is ranked 34th, while Guyana is at 126 and Haiti at 168.

Of the 180 countries worldwide that were used in the survey, Suriname placed 75th, with Trinidad and Tobago at number 79 and Jamaica 99.

Transparency International said that among the 31 countries from the Americas included in its 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), 10 scored above five (out of 10) while 21 scored less than five, indicating a serious corruption problem. Overall, nine countries failed to exceed a score of three, indicating rampant corruption.

“Once again Haiti, the poorest country in the region, ranks at the bottom though its score improved modestly from 1.4 in 2008 to 1.8 this year,” it added, noting that the CPI is based on 13 independent surveys.

“However, not all surveys include all countries,” Transparency International said.

In the survey New Zealand was ranked number one in the world with a confidence rate of 9.1 to 9.5.