Top Most Corrupt Countries in the World and in Africa
180 nations were ranked on a scale of 1-100 the Most Corrupt Countries in the World by the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
Countries like Denmark, Norway, Singapore and Sweden are seen as the least corrupt in the world and routinely score high in international financial transparency rankings, whereas countries like Syria, Somalia and South Sudan (both scoring 13) are seen as the most corrupt countries in the world.
According to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), these are the 10 most corrupt countries in the world
1. Most Corrupt Countries in the World: South Sudan
President Salva Kiir issued a plea to government officials who he said had stolen $4 billion from the country’s treasury to restore it.
He said that most of the monies had been stashed away in foreign bank accounts while the young nation was in desperate need of money for growth.
When the North African nation was separated from Sudan in 2011, Kirr’s lament brought to light the extent of corruption that has pervaded the country since then.
Corruption has wreaked havoc and slowed the country’s economic progress to a crawl.
All sectors of the economy, as well as all levels of government, are affected by corruption in South Sudan, according to Amnesty International.
This includes “grand corruption” and “clientelistic networks along ethnic lines,” making South Sudan one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
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2. Most Corrupt Countries in the World: Syria
Corruption is prevalent in the Middle Eastern countries in three key ways. To begin, there is the issue of bribery.
In every part of Syria, this is a common occurrence, making Syria one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Second, according to Syrian law, misuse of authority is a crime.
One of the most common tactics used by those in positions of authority abuse is to lure their victims into financial or moral obligations by using their contacts with decision-makers (either in person or virtually).
The theft of public cash comes in third. Syria’s regime is mostly to blame for the country’s pervasive corruption.
One that doesn’t provide for proper checks and balances in government stifles freedom of the press and thereby protects those in authority from being held accountable for the misuse of public cash.
3. Most Corrupt Countries in the World: Somalia
Sub-Saharan Africa is infested with corruption that permeates every facet of its daily life.
Somalia has been wracked by corruption since its administration was destabilized by conflict and civil war, making it one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Undermining democratic institutions, human rights, and the rule of law is the current state of affairs for it.
Crimes and terrorism are also rising as a result of this.
The situation is exacerbated further by the lack of commitment to fighting corruption on the part of governmental authorities.
4. Venezuela
Most of Venezuela’s economic sectors are plagued by chronic corruption as a result of the country’s politicized and weak judiciary, which fails miserably in its efforts to combat corrupt practices.
It is illegal in Venezuela to extort, passively or actively bribe, or otherwise misuse one’s position of trust.
Bribery of foreign authorities, on the other hand, is explicitly prohibited by law.
The country’s anti-corruption laws are poorly enforced, allowing government employees to engage in corrupt acts with impunity.
The use of bribes and kickbacks is prevalent, making Venezuela one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Venezuelan law prohibits the exchange of gifts for an unfair advantage, however, the practice is commonplace in most areas.
5. Yemen
A conflict-torn country like Yemen has a particularly high rate of corruption and one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Over 233,000 people have died in the six-year conflict in the Middle Eastern nation.
Because of this, the most impoverished Arab nation was subjected to high levels of corruption.
Humanitarian assistance was allegedly diverted to support militias with Iranian connections, including the Houthis, as well as to the “legitimate” government of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
Because of this, the nation has become one of the most corrupt countries in the world because of pervasive corruption, extortion, and racketeering.
6. North Korea
North Korea is plagued by an entrenched corruption system that permeates every facet of daily life.
Restrictions on freedom of speech have been issued by the violent totalitarian government again and over and over again.
People were forced to labor in informal marketplaces, where they must pay authorities to avoid being arrested, according to a 2019 UN assessment, after the state-run public distribution system failed in the mid-1990s.
10.9 million people (more than 43 percent) are suffering from hunger as a consequence of the food crisis.
7. Afghanistan
For years, Afghanistan has been named among one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Corruption in Afghanistan is a major impediment to the successful use of humanitarian help, according to international relief organizations.
The Afghan economy is largely dependent on foreign aid, but the New York Times reported that every week, tens of millions of dollars are “packed into suitcases or boxes and loaded onto planes leaving Kabul International Airport for destinations like Dubai.
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8. Libya
Gan Integrity asserts that pervasive corruption affects every facet of the Libyan economic system.
But the energy and governmental procurement sectors have been particularly hard hit.
Corruption and favoritism are widespread in many sectors, and enterprises may face unfair competition from state-owned firms, which control a large portion of the local economy.
Gaddafi’s regime was rife with corruption, and the problem has only become worse after the revolution.
There is a lack of a strong institutional structure to tackle corruption, and political unrest and violence weaken the rule of law.
There is currently work being done on the Libyan constitution, thus all legislation are based on the Constitutional Declaration, which came into effect when Gaddafi was overthrown.
Despite this, the legal system and the security apparatus are both dysfunctional, making it difficult to implement the law.
9. Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, according to international standards.
An “almost-perfect kleptocracy” has been described.
Due to widespread corruption and a lack of interest by government officials in the well-being of their own citizens, this nation ranks near the bottom of every major governance indicator and rating.
They are even ranked lower than other countries with comparable GDP per capita.
The government is run by a small number of wealthy people who siphon off the majority of the country’s tax money and stash it away in offshore accounts.
Despite its wealth, the country’s high degree of corruption has left the majority of its population impoverished.
10. Turkmenistan
Public officials in Turkmenistan are particularly prone to corruption because of the country’s opaque legal structure, which is also used by the judiciary for bribes and graft.
The president of Turkmenistan has complete control over how the country’s principal source of wealth, hydrocarbons, is spent since no national budget has ever been made public.
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Top Most Corrupt Countries in Africa
1. South Sudan
2. Somalia
3. Libya
4. Equatorial Guinea
5. Democratic Republic of Congo
6. Burundi
7. Chad
8. Sudan
9. Comoros
10. Guinea Bissau
