Transparency International’s report on global corruption index in 2018 shows Maldives has continued its decline in public perception of graft.

In the watchdog’s latest report, Maldives ranks at a low 124 of 180 countries, making it part of the two-thirds that scored below 50 out of 100.

For 2017, Maldives ranked at 112, with a Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of 33, while the CPI this year for Maldives is 31. Transparency uses a scale where 100 stands for the most clean and zero for the most corrupt. 

In its report last year, Transparency cited threats against civil society, media, and journalists, as a reason for the drop in Maldives’ rank.

Maldives appeared in Transparency’s CPI listings in 2007 for the first time, and continued to be included in the lower part of the list until 2011, when Maldives was ranked a landmark low of 134 out of 180.

The Maldives was not included in the list, which has been compiled every year for over two decades, afterwards until 2016.