Rome scored the same, 56 points, in the 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) and gained one slot internationally, from 42nd to 41st, in the annual rankings.
But Italy is among the countries that have made the most progress in the last 10 years, Transparency said.
The standings are led firmly by northern European countries and despite the recent Qatargate scandal the EU is overall among the top places in the world to do graft-free business, with an average of 64 out of 100 points.
Among the EU countries, Italy is steady in 17th place, while Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary bring up the rear.
At a global level, Denmark is still top with 90 points, followed by New Zealand and Finland on 87. They are followed by Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.
The bottom of the table sees Somalia last on 12 points, then Syria and South Sudan on 13, and Venezuela on 14. Afghanistan, North Korea and Yemen sit just above them.
Transparency International's objective is to 'hold the powerful and corrupt to account, by exposing the systems and networks that enable corruption'.
The organisation advocates for policies and aims to build coalitions to change the status quo.
ANSA
