CCC Index 2023 Shows Continued Strain in Anti-Corruption Efforts in Latin America

June 27, 2023—Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) and Control Risks, the global specialist risk consulting firm, present the 2023 Capacity to Combat Corruption (CCC) Index, a data-driven analytical tool to assess Latin American countries' ability to uncover, punish, and deter corruption.

The fifth edition of the CCC Index reflects an anti-corruption environment under pressure across Latin America. With democracies and critical institutions under duress in many countries, the Index registered a decline in the regional average score for the first time since 2020. Scores fell to varying degrees in 10 of the 15 countries studied.

Two of the 15 countries, Guatemala and Venezuela, saw significant declines in their scores in 2023, and one country, Panama, saw a material improvement. Guatemala and Mexico are the only two countries whose overall scores have decreased every year since the Index was released in 2019.

"The Index shows what many of us have felt: Anti-corruption efforts are losing momentum in many Latin American countries, even though the issue remains top of mind for voters," said Brian Winter, vice president of policy at AS/COA. “The story is a familiar one: Democracies are under pressure, as are many of the independent institutions that are key to preventing and punishing corruption. What we’re generally seeing is more of a slow erosion than a sudden collapse, so there’s hope these trends can be reversed in the medium term.”

The fifth edition of the CCC Index covers 15 countries, which together represent 96 percent of Latin America’s GDP. Rather than measuring perceived levels of corruption, the CCC Index evaluates and ranks countries based on how effectively they can combat corruption. Countries with a higher score are deemed more likely to see corrupt actors prosecuted and punished.

The country with the highest score in the 2023 CCC Index is Uruguay (6.99 out of 10). Uruguay was followed by Costa Rica (6.76), Chile (6.67), Peru (5.53), the Dominican Republic (5.42), Panama (5.39), Argentina (5.07), Brazil (4.83), Colombia (4.78), Ecuador (4.68), Paraguay (4.61), Mexico (3.87), Guatemala (2.86), Bolivia (2.56) and Venezuela (1.46).

“With anti-corruption efforts across the region stagnating, if not receding, an increasing onus is placed upon companies and other key stakeholders to promote transparent and ethical business practices,” said Geert Aalbers, partner at Control Risks.

The CCC Index looks at 14 key variables, including the independence of judicial institutions, the strength of investigative journalism, and the level of resources available for combating white-collar crime. The index relies on extensive data and a proprietary survey conducted among leading anti-corruption experts from Control Risks, academia, civil society, media, and the private sector.

For the full results and methodology, download the <2023 CCC Index>.

Follow the conversation on Twitter: @ASCOA, @Control_Risks, and @AmerQuarterly | #CCCIndex

AS/COA is holding the launch event “Anti-Corruption in Latin America: A 2023 Overview” on June 27. Speakers will include Geert Aalbers, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Control Risks; Mário Braga, Senior Analyst, Control Risks; Lucía López Esquivelzeta, Associate Director, Control Risks; Sebastián Fernández de Soto, Analyst, Control Risks, and Brian Winter, Vice President for Policy at Americas Society/Council of the Americas and Editor-in-Chief of Americas Quarterly.

Register to watch the event.

Press contact: mediarelations@as-coa.org

To schedule an interview or receive further information, please contact:

Claudia Torrens

Director, Media Relations

Americas Society/Council of the Americas

WhatsApp: +1 917 631-1834 | ctorrens@as-coa.org

Laure le Masson

Marketing Manager 

Control Risks

+1 202 449-3356 | laure.lemasson@controlrisks.com

Americas Society/Council of the Americas is the premier forum dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas. Its mission is to foster an understanding of the contemporary political, social, and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada.

Control Risks is a global specialist risk consulting firm that helps clients create organizations that are secure, compliant, and resilient in an age of ever-changing risk and connectivity. Our experts across 34 offices help clients investigate wrongdoing and resolve crises and provide the insight and intelligence companies need to realize opportunities and grow. Learn more at controlrisks.com.