It’s not a secret that several governments worldwide do not often act with their populations’ best interests in mind. The most corrupt countries in the world result from these civil workers’ frequent inability to suppress the temptation to exploit public resources for private gain.
This term is frequently used to describe nations with frequent civil unrest, a stagnant economy, and a lack of social welfare programs. This is so because corruption threatens to undermine all human rights. Some examples of corruption include bribery, taking or offering bribes, including fraud to win government contracts or bids.
Although many of the world’s most corrupt countries occur in the developing world, this scourge also affects many richer nations. So here you’ll find a comprehensive list of the 12 most corrupt countries in the world.
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Top 12 Most Corrupt Countries in the World
The most corrupt countries in the world are found in the developing world, and this scourge also affects many wealthier countries. Based on statistics from the Transparency International Corruption Index, Here is the list of the most corrupt countries in the world:-
1. Somalia
Somalia has been among the top three most corrupt countries in the world for the past two years due to ongoing violence, insecurity, and the absence of a central authority. This, combined with the known culture of piracy, results in a crisis. Corruption in society has a significant impact on these socioeconomic issues, which affect both locals and visitors.
According to a UN report, almost 70% of Somalia’s government assets had just been abused or diverted for personal gain.
2. South Sudan
The officials of South Sudan’s government have been charged with having the same amount of graft that exists in the most corrupt nations in the world while becoming the world’s youngest nation. The oil-rich nation became a republic on July 9, 2011. Yet in December 2013, it quickly turned into a civil war.
Under these circumstances, official government corruption has thrived. Around 74 million dollars are believed to have been diverted by Sudan’s leaders in the previous two years. Salva Kiir, the president, said that since 2012, the state had lost more than $4 billion to patronage, theft, and especially administrative corruption.
3. Syria
The Middle East and North Africa were affected by a bigger movement, including the Syrian Civil War. The Arab Spring was the source of the ongoing conflict in Syria between the military and insurgency forces.
Armed conflict has resulted in abundant resources and aid from international organizations. Yet, this rescue money has frequently been wasted due to dishonest authorities. Bribery and soliciting are the two types of corruption most common in Syria.
4. Venezuela
Venezuela’s wealth in energy and other mineral resources—which includes over 300 billion barrels of oil—has resulted in political unrest and a socioeconomic crisis, including corruption. The problem was made worse by Venezuela’s food insecurity, overpopulation, and failing infrastructure.
Government representatives and the members of their families have been convicted of involvement in illegal activities, including drug trafficking. Some of these illegally obtained funds were suspected of going toward President Maduro’s 2013 campaign.
5. Yemen
The nine-year civil war in Yemen has frequently been called a proxy conflict involving Saudi Arabia and Iran. Not whether such is the case, the Yemeni conflict has triggered a humanitarian disaster, with children being the most severely impacted. A kid under the age of five dies every 10 minutes of preventable causes, and more than 500,000 children under the age of five have serious malnutrition.
Due to the war, the government’s accountability has been compromised, and the system of control is virtually non-existent. The civil affairs of the country are managed by patronage networks, resulting in a significant number of “ghost workers,” which puts a considerable burden on the state’s finances. Moreover, this network manages government contracts and frequently subjects small businesses to unjust fines, exploiting them.
6. Burundi
Corruption persists in Burundi despite several initiatives to promote transparency and sound government. This is due to the nation’s institutionalized corruption. High-ranking officials’ underhanded practices, including bribery and cronyism, flow to lower-level public employees.
Neopatrimonialism policies adopted by Burundi’s ruling party have reduced the nation to a low level of government, discouraging international investment and fueling social upheaval. Burundi continues to rank highly on this list due to its inability to combat social and political corruption.
7. Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea’s corrupt political system allows the president and his elite group to live lavishly off of the nation’s oil revenues. Lack of the rule of law, poor financial management, arbitrary arrests, torture, and unfair trials have contributed to widespread corruption.
The President’s son and Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Mangue, was found guilty of embezzlement charges by a French court in 2021. His ostentatious display of wealth on social media, including the possession of a Rolls-Royce Phantom, two Bentleys, a Maybach, a Porsche, a Ferrari, a Maserati, and two Bugattis, was among the factors that incriminated him.
8. Haiti
Since the devastating earthquake in 2010, Haiti has been experiencing a social crisis. The disaster’s effects on the nation’s economy and infrastructure have hindered it from recovering. Corruption has depleted the state’s finances since 2011. Political stability has deteriorated, and organized and armed gangs have grown in size, leading to the murder of former president Jovenel Mose around July 2021.
9. North Korea
Due to its strict totalitarian dictatorship, the outside world knows very little about North Korea. Due to a lack of transparency about issues like food security and human rights, corruption has grown to be a major problem.
Consequently, corruption has spread widely in the country. Despite Kim Jong Un’s pledge to deal with corruption “mercilessly,” the scourge has become deeply entrenched in North Korea since the 1990s.
10. Libya
Many years after the initial rebellion began in 2011, Libya is another nation seriously affected by the Arab Spring. As Muammar Gaddafi was removed as president, Libya descended into civil strife between numerous factions. Since then, the unrest has corrupted the nation’s political system, enabling corruption to flourish unfettered.
Among the most corrupt nations in the world is created when you combine this with ineffective surveillance of political corruption figures’ complicity.
11. Chad
Oil, gold, and uranium are all plentiful within Chad, a landlocked African nation. The quasi-independent court system, frequently affected by government officials, and the harsh police tactics have all been linked to claims of high levels of corruption within the nation.
Nonetheless, corruption has become more commonplace in Chad. When passing through checkpoints, it is frequently requested of both locals and visitors to give bribes to police and other state agents. This has made Chad one of the world’s poorest nations, even though an oil pipeline connecting Chad to Cameroon across its border annually earns billions of dollars.
12. Comoros
Comoros is not well-known to tourists. This chain of islands off the coast of Mozambique is home to picturesque colonial coastal towns, lush cliffs, and crystal-clear beaches. Yet, the nation’s lack of infrastructure and systems has made it harder to combat corruption throughout Comoros.
In Comoros, corruption penetrates all levels of government, including the judiciary, public service, and security services. It is well known that citizens must pay bribes to get around the law, get false police reports, and escape being arrested.
Conclusion
Remembering corruption is a complicated problem with numerous causes is crucial. It impacts the citizens, economies, and foreign relations of the nations as well as the countries themselves. A broad strategy is needed to combat corruption, encouraging accountability, openness, and good governance. So now you’ve all the necessary information about the 12 most corrupt countries in the world.
