BEIJING - A Monday report on China's legal development has rated the transparency level of the country's governmental organizations, with the Ministry of Commerce topping the list of 59 central government departments.

According to a report released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Commerce achieved a score of 67 out of 100 based on evaluations of several factors, including transparency and the public availability of information.

The National Population and Family Planning Commission and the Ministry of Environmental Protection ranked second and third, respectively, the report said.

Among provincial-level governments, Beijing led with 72.5 points, followed by the municipality of Tianjin and Jiangsu province.

According to the report, the official websites of several government organizations were also evaluated for the quality of their content and search functions.

The report said different standards make it difficult to compare the transparency levels of government organizations, with many transparency reports lacking clear and detailed information.

The report urged the creation of a uniform transparency standard, especially for areas that are prone to abuse, such as expenditures on overseas trips, vehicle purchases and official receptions.