The 2008 CPI polled 180 countries, the same number as the 2007 CPI, on a scale from zero (highly corrupt) to 10 (highly clean).
Zimbabwe was this year ranked number 166 with a CPI score of 1.8, a significant slide from last year when the crisis-sapped nation was ranked number 150 with a score of 2.1 points.
Transparency International, which released its latest CPI ratings on Tuesday, ranked Botswana the least corrupt country in Africa at position 36 with a score of 5.8, while continental economic giant South Africa was ranked number 54.
The CPI measures perceived levels of public-sector corruption in a given country and is a composite index, drawing on different expert and business surveys.
Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden share the highest score at 9.3 this year, followed immediately by Singapore at 9.2.
Zimbabwe is at the bottom of the scale together with strife-torn countries like Somalia, Iraq, Myanmar, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Haiti.
Countries that have improved significantly in their corruption level status over the last year are Albania, Cyprus, Georgia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, South Korea, Tonga and Turkey.
Zimbabwe’s economic collapse has fuelled corruption at all levels of society as many people are forced to resort to unorthodox means to survive in a country grappling with world’s highest inflation of more than 11 million percent, shortages of foreign currency, food, fuel, water and electricity.
The report, by the global anti-corruption body, says rampant corruption in low-income countries jeopardises global efforts to fight poverty and threatens to derail the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
It also says unchecked levels of corruption would add US$50 billion or nearly half of annual global aid outlays to the cost of achieving the MDG on water and sanitation.
Transparency International chairwoman Huguette Labelle said: “In the poorest countries, corruption levels can mean the difference between life and death, when money for hospitals or clean water is in play.
“Stemming corruption requires strong oversight through parliaments, law enforcement, independent media and a vibrant civil society. When these institutions are weak, corruption spirals out of control with horrendous consequences for ordinary people and for justice and equality in societies more broadly.” – ZimOnline