Denmark is among the 10 best countries in five out of six central areas of public life evaluated by the World Bank, Ritzau news bureau reported on Tuesday.

The results are based on a study of politicians and public officials in 209 countries.

According to daily newspaper Berlingske Tidende, Denmark received a top placement in "the public and media's ability to hold politicians accountable".

The country also received a fourth place rating in the areas of"efficiency in the public sector" and "efforts to fight corruption".

"Political stability" was an area where Denmark lagged behind, however, receiving a ranking of 22.

The rankings make Denmark and the other Nordic countries appearas a shining example for the rest of the world, according to Daniel Kaufmann, who was in charge of the World Bank investigation.

"To create the Nordic countries' system of excellent public administration requires a long process, and one has to be realistic. But our study shows that in just five to six years, good results can be achieved," Kaufmann said.

The country's top public officials, Nils Bernstein, department head of the prime minister's office, was pleased with the study's results.

"It does not surprise me, however, that Denmark received such ahigh ranking. We have also seen that in other international studies," he said.