Still in Yemen, the government's 26 Sepember website is celebrating the country's "progress" against corruption. This is based on the fact that Yemen has moved up eight places, from 154 to 146, in Transparency International's latest annual
Corruption Perceptions Index.

In fact, the change is insignificant. Yemen's actual score (out of 10) was 2.2, compared with 2.1 last year – an "improvement" of one percentage point. Yemen's apparent progress in the rankings is due to the fact seven other countries had the same score this year so they are all ranked equally at 146. The next position immediately below them is 154 – the place held by Yemen last year.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 1 November 2010