Most corrupt countries in the world – ranked

A global ranking of the most corrupt countries in the world, from the latest Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International.

The Corruption Perceptions Index, published by the non-profit organisation Transparency International, ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The report reveals that most countries have made little to no progress in tackling corruption over the last decade.

Transparency International define public sector corruption as “the abuse of entrusted power for private gain”. The non-profit argues that corruption can take many forms, but generally, public sector corruption tends to come under one of, some, or even all, of the following definitions:

• Public servants demanding or taking money or favours in exchange for services.
• Politicians misusing public money or granting public jobs or contracts to their sponsors, friends and families.
• Corporations bribing officials to get lucrative deals.

“Corruption erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis. Exposing corruption and holding the corrupt to account can only happen if we understand the way corruption works and the systems that enable it.”

– Transparency International

The latest report focused on the impact of corruption had on government responses to COVID-19. The report compared countries’ performance in the index to their annual investment in health care and the extent to which democratic norms and institutions were weakened during the pandemic.

It showed that persistent corruption has undermined health care systems and caused democracy to decline during the pandemic.

“Covid-19 is not just a health and economic crisis. It is a corruption crisis. And one that we are currently failing to manage. The past year has tested governments like no other in memory, and those with higher levels of corruption have been less able to meet the challenge. But even those at the top of the CPI must urgently address their role in perpetuating corruption at home and abroad.”

– Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair of Transparency International

Key findings

• The average score is 43/100.
• Two-thirds of countries scored below 50.
• South Sudan is most corrupt countriy in the world with 11 points, closely followed by Syria and Somalia on 13.
• Denmark, Finland and New Zealand are the least corrupt countries in the world with 88 points.
• This year, 25 countries improved their CPI scores, while 23 countries decreased their scores.
• 131 countries remained the same.
• Continuing its downward trend, the USA (27th) recorded its worst position since 2012
• The most corrupt region is Sub-Saharan Africa with an average score of 33.
• The least corrupt region is Western Europe & European Union with an average score of 66.
• New Zealand (1st), Singapore (4th) and Hong Kong (12th) are the least corrupt countries in the Asia-Pacific; North Korea (174th), Afghanistan (174th) and Cambodia (157th) are the most.
• Canada (13th), Uruguay (18th), Chile (27th) and the USA (27th) are the least corrupt counties in the Americas; Venezuela (177th), Haiti (164th) and Nicaragua (164th) are the most.

Corruption – complete ranking

The table below ranks 180 of the world’s countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption.

Some countries may have been omitted due to insufficient data.

Rank	Country	Score
1	Denmark	88
1	Finland	88
1	New Zealand	88
4	Norway	85
4	Singapore	85
4	Sweden	85
7	Switzerland	84
8	Netherlands	82
9	Luxembourg	81
10	Germany	80
11	UK	78
12	Hong Kong	76
13	Canada	74
13	Iceland	74
13	Ireland	74
13	Estonia	74
13	Austria	74
18	Australia	73
18	Belgium	73
18	Japan	73
18	Uruguay	73
22	France	71
23	Seychelles	70
24	UAE	69
25	Bhutan	68

25	Taiwan	68
27	Chile	67
27	USA	67
29	Barbados	65
30	Bahamas	64
31	Qatar	63
32	South Korea	62
32	Portugal	62
34	Lithuania	61
34	Spain	61
36	Israel	59
36	Latvia	59
36	St Vincent & Gren	59
39	Cabo Verde	58
39	Costa Rica	58
41	Slovenia	57
42	Italy	56
42	Poland	56
42	Saint Lucia	56
45	Botswana	55
45	Dominica	55
45	Fiji	55
45	Georgia	55
49	Czechia	54
49	Malta	54
49	Mauritius	54

52	Grenada	53
52	Cyprus	53
52	Rwanda	53
52	Saudi Arabia	53
56	Oman	52
56	Slovakia	52
58	Armenia	49
58	Greece	49
58	Jordan	49
58	Namibia	49
62	Malaysia	48
63	Croatia	47
64	Cuba	46
64	Montenegro	46
66	China	45
66	Romania	45
66	Sao Tome & Principe	45
66	Vanuatu	45
70	Jamaica	44
70	South Africa	44
70	Tunisia	44
73	Ghana	43
73	Hungary	43
73	Kuwait	43
73	Senegal	43
73	Solomon Islands	43

78	Bahrain	42
78	Benin	42
78	Burkina Faso	42
78	Bulgaria	42
82	Timor-Leste	41
82	Belarus	41
82	Trinidad & Tobago	41
85	India	40
85	Maldives	40
87	Kosovo	39
87	Colombia	39
87	Ethiopia	39
87	Guyana	39
87	Morocco	39
87	North Macedonia	39
87	Suriname	39
87	Tanzania	39
87	Vietnam	39
96	Argentina	38
96	Brazil	38
96	Indonesia	38
96	Lesotho	38
96	Serbia	38
96	Turkey	38

102	Gambia	37
102	Kazakhstan	37
102	Sri Lanka	37
105	Cote d’Ivoire	36
105	Ecuador	36
105	Moldova	36
105	Panama	36
105	Peru	36
110	Albania	35
110	Bosnia & Herz	35
110	Malawi	35
110	Mongolia	35
110	Thailand	35
115	El Salvador	34
115	Sierra Leone	34
117	Egypt	33
117	Nepal	33
117	Philippines	33
117	Zambia	33
117	Algeria	33
122	Eswatini	32
122	Ukraine	32
124	Gabon	31
124	Mexico	31
124	Niger	31
124	Papua New Guinea	31

128	Azerbaijan	30
128	Bolivia	30
128	Djibouti	30
128	Dominican Rep.	30
128	Laos	30
128	Paraguay	30
128	Togo	30
128	Kenya	30
136	Angola	29
136	Liberia	29
136	Mali	29
136	Russia	29
140	Mauritania	28
140	Myanmar	28
140	Pakistan	28
140	Uzbekistan	28
144	Cameroon	27
144	Kyrgyzstan	27
144	Uganda	27
147	Bangladesh	26
147	Madagascar	26
147	Mozambique	26

150	Guatemala	25
150	Guinea	25
150	Iran	25
150	Tajikistan	25
154	Lebanon	24
154	Nigeria	24
154	Central African Rep.	24
157	Cambodia	23
157	Honduras	23
157	Iraq	23
157	Zimbabwe	23
161	Eritrea	22
162	Congo	21
162	Guinea Bissau	21
164	Chad	20
164	Comoros	20
164	Haiti	20
164	Nicaragua	20
164	Sudan	20
169	Burundi	19
169	DR Congo	19
169	Turkmenistan	19
172	Equatorial Guinea	17
172	Libya	17
174	Afghanistan	16
174	North Korea	16
174	Yemen	16
177	Venezuela	14
178	Somalia	13
178	Syria	13
180	South Sudan	11

Source: Transparency International