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Corruption Index 2020

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Most Corrupt Countries 2024

Snapshot

  • Transparency.org's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranks countries by perceived corruption levels; introduced in 1995, it defines corruption as misuse of public power for private gain.

  • The top three most corrupt countries in the 2022 CPI were Somalia (12), Syria and South Sudan (tied at 13), followed by Venezuela (14).

  • A separate 2023 Best Countries ranking from U.S. News, BAV Group, and Wharton School listed Russia, Iran, and Colombia as the top three most corrupt nations.

Not all governments operate with the best interests of their citizens as the top priority. People in power can have a hard time resisting the temptation to use that power for their own gain, and many public servants in many countries have been caught up in political scandals and corruption. In some countries, histories of deeply entrenched corruption have spurred political unrest between the governments and their citizens.

Introducing the Corruption Perceptions Index

In an effort to shine a light on corruption and initiate changes for the better, the organization Transparency.org has created the Corruption Perceptions Index, which uses expert assessments and surveys to rank countries based upon their perceived levels of corruption. Initially launched in 1995, the CPI defines corruption as “the misuse of public power for private benefit.”

The 2022 CPI (released January 2023) ranked 180 countries on a scale from 0 to 100. The lower the score, the more corrupt a country is considered to be.

The Top 10 Most Corrupt Countries in the World (2022 Corruption Perceptions Index):

Somalia, ranked as the most corrupt country in the world for a number of recent years, has undergone a shift between 2019 (CPI score of 9) and 2021 (CPI 13), finally regaining the top spot for corruption in 2022 (CPI 12). Meanwhile, South Sudan's score dropped from 12 in 2020 to 11 in 2021, eventually tying with Syria for the second spot at the CPI of 13 in 2022. Venezuela has securely placed third in 2021 and 2022 with a CPI score of 14.

Ultimately, the average score on the 2022 CPI was 43/100 for the eleventh year in a row, and over 2/3 of countries scored lower than 50/100. Clearly, corruption—or at least the impression of it—continues to be a problem all over the world.

Alternate views on national corruption

However, other studies provide different rankings. The 2023 Best Countries rankings from U.S. News and World Report, BAV Group, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania surveyed more than 17,000 citizens all over the world. Of the 87 countries featured in the survey, Russia was chosen as 2023's most corrupt nation. Iran and Colombia slotted in second and third places.

What Are the Least Corrupt Countries in the World?

On the other hand, the CPI report's least corrupt countries for 2021 and 2022 have been Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, and Sweden.

Source

The lack of countries that coincide on the two lists of top 10 most corrupt countries in the world according to the CPI and to US News sources does not stem from the difference in years surveyed (2022 vs 2023). These organizations use different research methods and criteria to rank countries in terms of corruption.

*CPI score on a scale of most (0) to least (100) corrupt
Note: Lower scores denote higher corruption

Download Table Data

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Country
Corruption Index 2020
Corruption Index 2021
Corruption Index 2022
Denmark908888
Finland878885
New Zealand878888
Norway848584
Sweden838585
Singapore838585
Switzerland828485
Netherlands808282
Germany798080
Ireland777472
Luxembourg778180
Hong Kong767677
Australia757377
Canada747477
Uruguay747371
Estonia747475
Iceland747475
Japan737374
United Kingdom737877
Belgium737376
France727169
Austria717476
Seychelles707066
United States696767
Taiwan686865
Bhutan686868
Chile676767
United Arab Emirates676971
Barbados656564
Bahamas646463
South Korea636261
Israel635960
Portugal626261
Lithuania626160
Spain606162
Botswana605560
Cape Verde6058
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines605959
Latvia595957
Qatar586363
Italy565653
Czech Republic5654
Georgia565556
Slovenia565760
Poland555656
Saint Lucia555656
Dominica555555
Costa Rica545857
Slovakia535249
Fiji5355
Greece524950
Cyprus525357
Grenada525353
Saudi Arabia515353
Rwanda515354
Malta515453
Croatia504747
Mauritius505453
Namibia494951
Vanuatu484543
Malaysia474851
Jordan474949
Romania464544
Armenia464949
China454542
Cuba454647
Montenegro454645
Oman445254
Jamaica444444
Bahrain444242
South Africa434444
Ghana434343
Senegal434345
Benin434241
Bulgaria434244
Vietnam423936
Burkina Faso424240
Hungary424344
Kuwait424342
Trinidad and Tobago424140
Timor Leste424140
Solomon Islands424342
India404040
Tunisia404444
North Macedonia403935
Guyana403941
Suriname403938
Maldives404043
Colombia393939
Belarus394147
Moldova393634
Brazil383838
Ethiopia383938
Tanzania383938
Argentina383842
Morocco383940
Ivory Coast373636
Lesotho373841
Turkey363840
Thailand363536
Peru363638
Sri Lanka363738
Kazakhstan363738
Ecuador363639
Serbia363838
Panama363635
Albania363536
Indonesia343837
Nepal343333
Malawi343530
Sierra Leone343433
Bosnia and Herzegovina343535
Gambia343737
Philippines333334
Algeria333336
Ukraine333233
Angola332927
Zambia333333
El Salvador333436
Mongolia333535
Kenya323031
Niger323132
Dominican Republic323028
Mexico313131
Uzbekistan312826
Bolivia313031
Laos313029
Egypt303333
Papua New Guinea303127
Togo303029
Mauritania302829
Eswatini303233
Djibouti303027
Gabon293130
Russia282930
Mali282930
Paraguay283028
Pakistan272831
Kyrgyzstan272731
Uganda262727
Mozambique262625
Madagascar262625
Cameroon262725
Liberia262928
Bangladesh252626
Iran252525
Guinea252528
Nigeria242425
Afghanistan241619
Guatemala242525
Cambodia242321
Tajikistan242525
Central African Republic242426
Lebanon242425
Myanmar232828
Iraq232321
Zimbabwe232324
Honduras232324
Azerbaijan233030
Sudan222016
Eritrea222221
Republic of the Congo2121
DR Congo201918
Chad192021
Nicaragua192022
Turkmenistan191919
Comoros192021
North Korea171618
Burundi171919
Haiti172018
Libya171717
Equatorial Guinea171716
Yemen161615
Venezuela141415
Syria131314
South Sudan131112
Somalia121312
Brunei60
showing: 178 rows

Which country is world's most corrupt?

One metric considers Somalia the most corrupt country in the world. A different survey considers Russia the most corrupt country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources