Corruption
is inversely proportional to distance from equator & indirectly is
culturally motivated, as cultures are fostered and deeply impacted by climates.
Through a session of Nobel
Laureate Amartya Sen that I attended in New Delhi in which he spoke of his
latest book and informed all of us about some very surprising facts. One of
such facts was his information that India has more than 300 historic calendar
types.
In the interaction there was a
discussion by Dr. Sen on the issue of corruption that is plaguing our nation.
Almost instinctively I thought of why northern Europe is so transparent and
corruption-free. This brought me to a question, which I shot on to him without
much though process and largely by instinct – is there a link between cultural
types and corruption. Are we from subcontinent somehow more inclined to be
corrupt by culture.
He answered immediately saying
that it is not true. He quoted that having being an Advisor to the Government
of Italy, he was exposed to a European nation plagued by high corruption, and
that he does not believe that we in India or for that reason any other culture
has higher or lower inclination towards corruption.
I respectably thanked him for his
view. But in my mind, I was not satisfied by the answer. This conversation
happened in early 2017. I did keep on thinking about it and realized that
culture largely is effected by the climate in which people live. This is a
known fact. The next idea that crept in my mind was following – why not to
research and try proving my point of view using an easy tool. This is what I
did.
I accessed the corruption score
level as accessed by Transparency International. I then accessed the
latitudinal locations of nations. Clubbing them together in a band of 15
degrees. That is – from 0°, 15°N, 30°N, 45°N, 60°N. Similarly, 15°S, 30°S, 45°S, 60°S.
The nations considered are those
which are of some sensible size in terms of population in each band.
I then took averages of the national
corruption scores of the nations falling in each band. Following is the
astonishing results that I fathomed, which lead to my discovery – “Distance
from the equator is inversely proportional to levels of corruption”.
Below mentioned is the
attestation to my assertion:
Latitudnal Belt
|
Bands
|
Average
Corruption Scores for nations falling in the corresponding band
|
60° N
|
1
|
76.71
|
45° N
|
2
|
46.50
|
30° N
|
3
|
34.38
|
15° N
|
4
|
28.13
|
0°
|
5
|
31.10
|
15° S
|
6
|
31.00
|
30° S
|
7
|
50.83
|
45° S
|
8
|
64.00
|
Below mentioned are the details
of Corruption Levels of various nations as assessed by Transparency Level and Nations
whose corruption levels have been considered to reach an average for every
latitudinal band.
SN
|
Nation
|
2016
|
SN
|
Nation
|
2016
|
SN
|
Nation
|
2016
|
||
1
|
Denmark
|
90
|
||||||||
2
|
New Zealand
|
90
|
60
|
Cuba
|
47
|
120
|
Dominican Republic
|
31
|
||
3
|
Finland
|
89
|
60
|
Italy
|
47
|
120
|
Ecuador
|
31
|
||
4
|
Sweden
|
88
|
62
|
Sao Tome and Principe
|
46
|
120
|
Malawi
|
31
|
||
5
|
Switzerland
|
86
|
62
|
Saudi Arabia
|
46
|
123
|
Azerbaijan
|
30
|
||
6
|
Norway
|
85
|
64
|
Montenegro
|
45
|
123
|
Djibouti
|
30
|
||
7
|
Singapore
|
84
|
64
|
Oman
|
45
|
123
|
Honduras
|
30
|
||
8
|
Netherlands
|
83
|
64
|
Senegal
|
45
|
123
|
Laos
|
30
|
||
9
|
Canada
|
82
|
64
|
South Africa
|
45
|
123
|
Mexico
|
30
|
||
10
|
Germany
|
81
|
64
|
Suriname
|
45
|
123
|
Moldova
|
30
|
||
10
|
Luxembourg
|
81
|
69
|
Greece
|
44
|
123
|
Paraguay
|
30
|
||
10
|
United Kingdom
|
81
|
70
|
Bahrain
|
43
|
123
|
Sierra Leone
|
30
|
||
13
|
Australia
|
79
|
70
|
Ghana
|
43
|
131
|
Iran
|
29
|
||
14
|
Iceland
|
78
|
72
|
Burkina Faso
|
42
|
131
|
Kazakhstan
|
29
|
||
15
|
Belgium
|
77
|
72
|
Serbia
|
42
|
131
|
Nepal
|
29
|
||
15
|
Hong Kong
|
77
|
72
|
Solomon Islands
|
42
|
131
|
Russia
|
29
|
||
17
|
Austria
|
75
|
75
|
Bulgaria
|
41
|
131
|
Ukraine
|
29
|
||
18
|
United States
|
74
|
75
|
Kuwait
|
41
|
136
|
Guatemala
|
28
|
||
19
|
Ireland
|
73
|
75
|
Tunisia
|
41
|
136
|
Kyrgyzstan
|
28
|
||
20
|
Japan
|
72
|
75
|
Turkey
|
41
|
136
|
Lebanon
|
28
|
||
21
|
Uruguay
|
71
|
79
|
Belarus
|
40
|
136
|
Myanmar
|
28
|
||
22
|
Estonia
|
70
|
79
|
Brazil
|
40
|
136
|
Nigeria
|
28
|
||
23
|
France
|
69
|
79
|
China
|
40
|
136
|
Papua New Guinea
|
28
|
||
24
|
Bahamas
|
66
|
79
|
India
|
40
|
142
|
Guinea
|
27
|
||
24
|
Chile
|
66
|
83
|
Albania
|
39
|
142
|
Mauritania
|
27
|
||
24
|
United Arab Emirates
|
66
|
83
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
39
|
142
|
Mozambique
|
27
|
||
27
|
Bhutan
|
65
|
83
|
Jamaica
|
39
|
145
|
Bangladesh
|
26
|
||
28
|
Israel
|
64
|
83
|
Lesotho
|
39
|
145
|
Cameroon
|
26
|
||
29
|
Poland
|
62
|
87
|
Mongolia
|
38
|
145
|
Gambia
|
26
|
||
29
|
Portugal
|
62
|
87
|
Panama
|
38
|
145
|
Kenya
|
26
|
||
31
|
Barbados
|
61
|
87
|
Zambia
|
38
|
145
|
Madagascar
|
26
|
||
31
|
Qatar
|
61
|
90
|
Colombia
|
37
|
145
|
Nicaragua
|
26
|
||
31
|
Slovenia
|
61
|
90
|
Indonesia
|
37
|
151
|
Tajikistan
|
25
|
||
31
|
Taiwan
|
61
|
90
|
Liberia
|
37
|
151
|
Uganda
|
25
|
||
35
|
Botswana
|
60
|
90
|
Morocco
|
37
|
153
|
Comoros
|
24
|
||
35
|
Saint Lucia
|
60
|
90
|
The FYR of Macedonia
|
37
|
154
|
Turkmenistan
|
22
|
||
35
|
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
60
|
95
|
Argentina
|
36
|
154
|
Zimbabwe
|
22
|
||
38
|
Cape Verde
|
59
|
95
|
Benin
|
36
|
156
|
Cambodia
|
21
|
||
38
|
Dominica
|
59
|
95
|
El Salvador
|
36
|
156
|
Democratic Republic of Congo
|
21
|
||
38
|
Lithuania
|
59
|
95
|
Kosovo
|
36
|
156
|
Uzbekistan
|
21
|
||
41
|
Brunei
|
58
|
95
|
Maldives
|
36
|
159
|
Burundi
|
20
|
||
41
|
Costa Rica
|
58
|
95
|
Sri Lanka
|
36
|
159
|
Central African Republic
|
20
|
||
41
|
Spain
|
58
|
101
|
Gabon
|
35
|
159
|
Chad
|
20
|
||
44
|
Georgia
|
57
|
101
|
Niger
|
35
|
159
|
Haiti
|
20
|
||
44
|
Latvia
|
57
|
101
|
Peru
|
35
|
159
|
Republic of Congo
|
20
|
||
46
|
Grenada
|
56
|
101
|
Philippines
|
35
|
164
|
Angola
|
18
|
||
47
|
Cyprus
|
55
|
101
|
Thailand
|
35
|
164
|
Eritrea
|
18
|
||
47
|
Czech Republic
|
55
|
101
|
Timor-Leste
|
35
|
166
|
Iraq
|
17
|
||
47
|
Malta
|
55
|
101
|
Trinidad and Tobago
|
35
|
166
|
Venezuela
|
17
|
||
50
|
Mauritius
|
54
|
108
|
Algeria
|
34
|
168
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
16
|
||
50
|
Rwanda
|
54
|
108
|
Côte d´Ivoire
|
34
|
169
|
Afghanistan
|
15
|
||
52
|
Korea (South)
|
53
|
108
|
Egypt
|
34
|
170
|
Libya
|
14
|
||
53
|
Namibia
|
52
|
108
|
Ethiopia
|
34
|
170
|
Sudan
|
14
|
||
54
|
Slovakia
|
51
|
108
|
Guyana
|
34
|
170
|
Yemen
|
14
|
||
55
|
Croatia
|
49
|
113
|
Armenia
|
33
|
173
|
Syria
|
13
|
||
55
|
Malaysia
|
49
|
113
|
Bolivia
|
33
|
174
|
Korea (North)
|
12
|
||
57
|
Hungary
|
48
|
113
|
Vietnam
|
33
|
175
|
South Sudan
|
11
|
||
57
|
Jordan
|
48
|
116
|
Mali
|
32
|
176
|
Somalia
|
10
|
||
57
|
Romania
|
48
|
116
|
Pakistan
|
32
|
|||||
116
|
Tanzania
|
32
|
||||||||
116
|
Togo
|
32
|
||||||||
Major Nations in specific
latitudinal belt and their corruption level score as assessed by Transparency
International.
75° N
|
Russia
|
29
|
75° N
|
Canada
|
82
|
75° N
|
Denmark
|
90
|
75° N
|
AVERAGE
|
67
|
60° N
|
Norway
|
85
|
60° N
|
Russia
|
29
|
60° N
|
Finland
|
89
|
60° N
|
Sweden
|
88
|
60° N
|
Canada
|
82
|
60° N
|
Denmark
|
90
|
60° N
|
United States
|
74
|
60° N
|
AVERAGE
|
76.71429
|
45° N
|
France
|
69
|
45° N
|
Italy
|
47
|
45° N
|
Croatia
|
49
|
45° N
|
Romania
|
48
|
45° N
|
Serbia
|
42
|
45° N
|
Ukraine
|
29
|
45° N
|
Kazakhstan
|
29
|
45° N
|
Uzbekistan
|
21
|
45° N
|
China
|
40
|
45° N
|
Mongolia
|
38
|
45° N
|
Japan
|
72
|
45° N
|
United States
|
74
|
45° N
|
AVERAGE
|
46.5
|
30° N
|
Morocco
|
37
|
30° N
|
Algeria
|
34
|
30° N
|
Libya
|
14
|
30° N
|
Egypt
|
34
|
30° N
|
Israel
|
64
|
30° N
|
Jordan
|
48
|
30° N
|
Saudi Arabia
|
46
|
30° N
|
Iraq
|
17
|
30° N
|
Kuwait
|
41
|
30° N
|
Iran
|
29
|
30° N
|
Afghanistan
|
15
|
30° N
|
Pakistan
|
32
|
30° N
|
India
|
40
|
30° N
|
Nepal
|
29
|
30° N
|
China
|
40
|
30° N
|
Mexico
|
30
|
30° N
|
AVERAGE
|
34.375
|
15° N
|
Senegal
|
45
|
15° N
|
Mauritania
|
27
|
15° N
|
Mali
|
32
|
15° N
|
Niger
|
35
|
15° N
|
Chad
|
20
|
15° N
|
Sudan
|
14
|
15° N
|
Eritrea
|
18
|
15° N
|
Yemen
|
14
|
15° N
|
Myanmar
|
28
|
15° N
|
Thailand
|
35
|
15° N
|
Laos
|
30
|
15° N
|
Vietnam
|
33
|
15° N
|
Philippines
|
35
|
15° N
|
Guatemala
|
28
|
15° N
|
Honduras
|
30
|
15° N
|
Nicaragua
|
26
|
15° N
|
AVERAGE
|
28.125
|
0°
|
Gabon
|
35
|
0°
|
Democratic Republic of Congo
|
21
|
0°
|
Uganda
|
25
|
0°
|
Kenya
|
26
|
0°
|
Somalia
|
10
|
0°
|
Malaysia
|
49
|
0°
|
Indonesia
|
37
|
0°
|
Ecuador
|
31
|
0°
|
Colombia
|
37
|
0°
|
Brazil
|
40
|
0°
|
AVERAGE
|
31.1
|
15° S
|
Angola
|
18
|
15° S
|
Zambia
|
38
|
15° S
|
Mozambique
|
27
|
15° S
|
Malawi
|
31
|
15° S
|
Madagascar
|
26
|
15° S
|
Peru
|
35
|
15° S
|
Bolivia
|
33
|
15° S
|
Brazil
|
40
|
15° S
|
AVERAGE
|
31
|
30° S
|
South Africa
|
45
|
30° S
|
Lesotho
|
39
|
30° S
|
Australia
|
79
|
30° S
|
Chile
|
66
|
30° S
|
Argentina
|
36
|
30° S
|
Brazil
|
40
|
30° S
|
AVERAGE
|
50.83333
|
45° S
|
New Zealand
|
90
|
45° S
|
Chile
|
66
|
45° S
|
Argentina
|
36
|
45° S
|
AVERAGE
|
64
|
