Top 10 Most Corrupt Countries in the World (2022)

Corruption is one of the vices that are bewildering the modern-day government and democracy. To tackle this Global menace, Transparency International, a global non-governmental organization, with the purpose of combatting global founded the global  Corruption Perceptions Index, an annual publication that ranks the most corrupt countries in the world through expert assessments and opinion surveys.  So here are the top 10 most corrupt countries in the world based on the 2021 CPI, published in January 2022.

Note: CPI score on a scale of most (0) to least (100) corrupt

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1. South Sudan

North African Country, South Sudan is the most corrupt country in the world, despite the fact that the country was just established in 2011. The country’s government officials are responsible for siphoning public funds leading to widespread poverty and famine around the State.  South Sudan produces half a million barrels of oil per day. But of the over $10 billion collected in oil revenues $4 billion has been lost due to public sector corruption.

2. Syria

War-torn Syria takes the second position among the most corrupt countries in the world. The country’s officials and personnel have been accused of money laundering, embezzlement of public funds, and misuse of corporate assets. According to Transparency International, these alleged corrupt officials use the stolen funds to acquire properties and assets in foreign countries. It is also believed that the fund is used in sponsoring the rebels and the Syrian government in the ongoing civil war.

3. Somalia

After several years of holding the top position as the most corrupt in the world, Somalia does better, dropping to third place. Prior to now, Somalia was often described is often described as many states within a state — each with its own system of bribes. A U.N. report published in 2013 found that the Somali had become a “slush fund” for patronage networks and that withdrawals from government institutions went towards private purposes rather than government programs 80% of the time.

4. Venezuela

The history of Venezuela has been mired with a “persistent and intense presence of corruption” In 1997, Pro Calidad de Vida, a Venezuelan NGO, claimed that around $100 billion from oil revenue has been misused in the preceding 25 years. A 2014 Gallup poll found that 75% of Venezuelans believed that corruption was widespread throughout the Venezuelan government. Discontent with corruption was cited by opposition-aligned groups as one of the reasons for the 2014 and 2017 Venezuelan protests.

5. Yemen

Yemen is the most corrupt country in the Gulf region and one of the most corrupt in the World.  It is also the poorest country in the Middle East, “with an exceptionally high birth rate, acute rates of child malnutrition and rapidly dwindling reserves of oil and water.” Jane Marriott, Britain’s Ambassador to Yemen, stated in December 2013 that corruption in Yemen was so pervasive that it was credibly undermining the security and economy of the nation. She also noted that institutionalized corruption on such a grand scale discourages development and innovation

6. North Korea

Corruption In North Korea is a widespread growing problem. According to reports, the country’s closed economy and opaque system of government have led to systematic corruption and public sector bribery, for example, against accessing foreign media or modifying radio or television receivers to access foreign media, are commonly evaded by offering bribes to the police. One of the country’s leading figures, Jang Song-Thaek was executed for corruption in 2013. According to reports, he used the state’s funds under his control for private use

7. Afghanistan

The Taliban Controlled Afghanistan is not just one of the most corrupt countries in the world but has been on the list for a very long time. Several reports have it that the country’s endemic corruption constitutes one of the most serious obstacles that is obscuring the country’s economic growth According to a report in the New York Times, Afghanistan, corruption in Afghanistan can no longer be described as cancer on the system: It is the system. The U.S. Agency for International Development stated in 2009 that corruption in Afghanistan had “become pervasive, entrenched, systemic, and by all accounts now unprecedented in scale and reach.”

8. Libya

Corruption is widespread in Libya and is often seen as part of the local system of governance. All sectors in the country’s economy suffer from widespread corruption; however, the public procurement sector and the oil industry are among the most affected. According to reports, Bribery and favoritism are common practices in all sectors, and companies may struggle with unfair competition from state-owned businesses, which also dominate the local market.

9. Equatorial Guinea

Political corruption in Equatorial Guinea is high by world standards and considered among the worst of any country on earth. It has been described as “an almost perfect kleptocracy”  due to the systemic corruption and the rulers’ indifference toward the people’s welfare. Despite the vast revenue generated from the country’s oil and other natural resources, 74% of the population still lives in poverty.

10. Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan concludes the list of the top 10 most corrupt countries in the world in 2022. According to a statement by the U.S. Embassy in Turkmenistan, corruption is “widespread in both public and private sectors” in the country. The country’s opaque legal system makes the public system highly vulnerable to corruption while the judicial system employs a widespread system of bribery and graft. Also, the country’s national budget has never been published in full under the recent administrations

Summary

Here is a summary of the top 10 most corrupt countries in the world based on the 2021 CPI, published in January 2022.

1. South Sudan
2. Syria
3. Somalia
4. Venezuela
5. Yemen
6. North Korea
7. Afghanistan
8. Libya
9. Equatorial Guinea
10. Turkmenistan