Canva

Countries with the highest rates of public-sector corruption

Public-sector corruption is often felt before it is seen. It is carried out in private agreements and manifests publicly at polling stations, jails, hospitals, banks, and government buildings—places not all people have direct or consistent familiarity with.

While there are certainly exceptions to this position—perhaps the most egregious, recent example being the wide-reaching attempted malfeasance surrounding the 2020 U.S. presidential election—most public-sector corruption is systemic and, as such, is equal parts obsequious and insidious.

Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index quantifies how corruption varies in frequency and type from country to country worldwide. It uses 13 public data sets exploring bribery, nepotism, state capture, embezzlement, prosecution of corrupt leaders, legal protections for journalists and whistleblowers, enforcement of integrity mechanisms, and other factors. Stacker leveraged that index to identify the countries most corrupt in their public-sector systems and operations. The full methodology, which ranks countries on a score between 1 and 100, is available on Transparency International’s website.

COVID-19 exacerbated existing corruption in many areas. The pandemic widened the windows for increasing abuses of power by law enforcement in many regions, especially in Latin America and certain parts of Africa. Countries that are already home to significant disparities in quality of life between high- and low-income communities often see higher rates of public sector corruption, as vulnerable, marginalized communities serve as scapegoats, bearing the disproportionate brunt of financial and institutional inequalities without the means to hold officials accountable. Especially in developing countries, this often means ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ communities, and low-income populations effectively become targets.

On the other end of the spectrum, the index found that the least corrupt countries—among them New Zealand, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Singapore—tend to rank highly in practicing transparency within elections, financial institutions, and government affairs.

Some countries are beginning to take a turn for the better. Nations such as Armenia, Angola, and Uzbekistan, among other Middle Eastern and central African countries, have seen significant jumps in their respective CPI rankings since 2017. Other nations, such as Afghanistan, Brazil, and Somalia, have begun implementing systems of checks and balances meant to block corruption from becoming institutionalized in public infrastructure. Although such developments would seem to be in direct conflict with the regime controlling some of these countries—such as Afghanistan, which continues to sit rather low on the CPI—signs of progress can be seen in these countries’ financial systems and government contracting processes, according to a 2020 World Bank report.

You may also like: Countries most dependent on tourism

Stacker

The US ranks #154

The United States has a relatively low level of public-sector corruption on a global scale. Nevertheless, as exemplified by Finland, which, along with Denmark, is the least corrupt country in the world, “corruption-free countries do not exist.”

Chicago, Miami, Baltimore, and Los Angeles see some of the highest rates of corruption nationwide. Unsurprisingly, Washington D.C.—with its disproportionate density of government agencies—eclipses all other areas of the nation in corruption incidents. The contestation of the results of the 2020 presidential election was an all-time low for corruption in the country, with at least 253 politicians supporting baseless claims undermining a free and fair election.

In December 2021, the Biden administration introduced the U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption, the first of its kind in the country. The plan focuses on countering illicit transnational financial activity through international cooperation. Along with Switzerland, the U.S. is one of only two countries worldwide that are “active enforcers” taking quantifiable steps to investigate and charge officials with corrupt activities.

Canva

#45. Russia (tie)

– Score: 29 (based on 9 sources)
– Region: Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Thomas Dutour // Shutterstock

#45. Mali (tie)

– Score: 29 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Wirestock Creators // Shutterstock

#45. Liberia (tie)

– Score: 29 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Fabian Plock // Shutterstock

#45. Angola (tie)

– Score: 29 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

You may also like: Countries with the biggest income disparity

Canva

#41. Uzbekistan (tie)

– Score: 28 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: Eastern Europe and Central Asia

SAKhanPhotography // Shutterstock

#41. Pakistan (tie)

– Score: 28 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: Asia and The Pacific

Canva

#41. Myanmar (tie)

– Score: 28 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: Asia and The Pacific

Canva

#41. Mauritania (tie)

– Score: 28 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Arnold Mugasha // Shutterstock

#37. Uganda (tie)

– Score: 27 (based on 9 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

You may also like: The richest celebrity couples in the world

Canva

#37. Kyrgyzstan (tie)

– Score: 27 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Canva

#37. Cameroon (tie)

– Score: 27 (based on 9 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

#34. Mozambique (tie)

– Score: 26 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Pierre-Yves Babelon // Shutterstock

#34. Madagascar (tie)

– Score: 26 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Social Media Hub // Shutterstock

#34. Bangladesh (tie)

– Score: 26 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: Asia and The Pacific

You may also like: Baby names that are illegal around the world

Vershinin89 // Shutterstock

#31. Tajikistan (tie)

– Score: 25 (based on 6 sources)
– Region: Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Jakob Fischer // Shutterstock

#31. Iran (tie)

– Score: 25 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: Middle East and North Africa

Flightseeing-Germany // Shutterstock

#31. Guinea (tie)

– Score: 25 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Canva

#31. Guatemala (tie)

– Score: 25 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: The Americas

mbrand85 // Shutterstock

#27. Central African Republic (tie)

– Score: 24 (based on 5 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

You may also like: The richest royals in the world

Alucardion // Shutterstock

#27. Nigeria (tie)

– Score: 24 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

diplomedia // Shutterstock

#27. Lebanon (tie)

– Score: 24 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: Middle East and North Africa

Tawanda Kapikinyu // Shutterstock

#24. Zimbabwe (tie)

– Score: 23 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Rasool Ali // Shutterstock

#24. Iraq (tie)

– Score: 23 (based on 5 sources)
– Region: Middle East and North Africa

Manuel Chinchilla // Shutterstock

#24. Honduras (tie)

– Score: 23 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: The Americas

You may also like: Countries with the most—and least—digital freedom

Canva

#24. Cambodia (tie)

– Score: 23 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: Asia and The Pacific

Homo Cosmicos // Shutterstock

#20. Eritrea

– Score: 22 (based on 5 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

TLF Images // Shutterstock

#19. Guinea Bissau (tie)

– Score: 21 (based on 6 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Highflierdolapo // Shutterstock

#19. Congo (tie)

– Score: 21 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Claudiovidri // Shutterstock

#17. Sudan (tie)

– Score: 20 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

You may also like: 25 facts about Mexican history and culture

PixieMe // Shutterstock

#17. Nicaragua (tie)

– Score: 20 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: The Americas

Rotorhead 30A Productions // Shutterstock

#17. Haiti (tie)

– Score: 20 (based on 6 sources)
– Region: The Americas

Canva

#17. Comoros (tie)

– Score: 20 (based on 4 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Homo Cosmicos // Shutterstock

#17. Chad (tie)

– Score: 20 (based on 6 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

gonetothemoon // Shutterstock

#12. Turkmenistan (tie)

– Score: 19 (based on 5 sources)
– Region: Eastern Europe and Central Asia

You may also like: Strange laws to be aware of in the most popular countries for tourists

Katja Tsvetkova // Shutterstock

#12. Democratic Republic of the Congo (tie)

– Score: 19 (based on 9 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

cindysayuti // Shutterstock

#12. Burundi (tie)

– Score: 19 (based on 6 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Canva

#9. Libya (tie)

– Score: 17 (based on 5 sources)
– Region: Middle East and North Africa

alarico // Shutterstock

#9. Equatorial Guinea (tie)

– Score: 17 (based on 4 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Mohannad Khatib // Shutterstock

#7. Yemen (tie)

– Score: 16 (based on 7 sources)
– Region: Middle East and North Africa

You may also like: Popular lunches from around the world

Maxim Tupikov // Shutterstock

#7. Korea, North (tie)

– Score: 16 (based on 4 sources)
– Region: Asia and The Pacific

Torsten Pursche // Shutterstock

#7. Afghanistan (tie)

– Score: 16 (based on 5 sources)
– Region: Asia and The Pacific

Alejandro Solo // Shutterstock

#4. Venezuela

– Score: 14 (based on 8 sources)
– Region: The Americas

CameraAction // Shutterstock

#3. Syria (tie)

– Score: 13 (based on 5 sources)
– Region: Middle East and North Africa

Abdulhafid // Shutterstock

#3. Somalia (tie)

– Score: 13 (based on 6 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

You may also like: 100 best international movies of all time

Frontpage // Shutterstock

#1. South Sudan

– Score: 11 (based on 5 sources)
– Region: Sub-Saharan Africa