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CPI Score 2022

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Most Corrupt Countries 2023

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.

Top 10 Most Corrupt Countries in the World (2023 Best Countries rankings):

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
CPI Score 2022
CPI Rank 2022
Somalia12180
Syria13178
South Sudan13178
Venezuela14177
Yemen16176
North Korea17171
Burundi17171
Haiti17171
Libya17171
Equatorial Guinea17171
Chad19167
Turkmenistan19167
Comoros19167
Guinea Bissau21164
Sudan22162
Eritrea22162
Myanmar23157
Iraq23157
Zimbabwe23157
Honduras23157
Azerbaijan23157
Nigeria24150
Afghanistan24150
Guatemala24150
Cambodia24150
Tajikistan24150
Central African Republic24150
Lebanon24150
Bangladesh25147
Iran25147
Guinea25147
Uganda26142
Mozambique26142
Madagascar26142
Cameroon26142
Liberia26142
Pakistan27140
Russia28137
Mali28137
Paraguay28137
Gabon29136
Egypt30130
Papua New Guinea30130
Togo30130
Mauritania30130
Eswatini30130
Mexico31126
Uzbekistan31126
Bolivia31126
Laos31126
Kenya32123
Niger32123
Dominican Republic32123
Philippines33116
Algeria33116
Ukraine33116
Angola33116
Zambia33116
El Salvador33116
Mongolia33116
Indonesia34110
Nepal34110
Malawi34110
Sierra Leone34110
Bosnia and Herzegovina34110
Gambia34110
Turkey36101
Thailand36101
Peru36101
Sri Lanka36101
Kazakhstan36101
Ecuador36101
Serbia36101
Panama36101
Albania36101
Ivory Coast3799
Lesotho3799
Brazil3894
Ethiopia3894
Tanzania3894
Argentina3894
Morocco3894
Colombia3991
Belarus3991
Moldova3991
India4085
Tunisia4085
North Macedonia4085
Guyana4085
Suriname4085
Maldives4085
Vietnam4277
Burkina Faso4277
Hungary4277
Kuwait4277
Trinidad and Tobago4277
Timor Leste4277
Solomon Islands4277
South Africa4372
Ghana4372
Senegal4372
Benin4372
Bulgaria4372
Oman4469
Jamaica4469
Bahrain4469
China4565
Cuba4565
Montenegro4565
Sao Tome and Principe4565
Romania4663
Armenia4663
Malaysia4761
Jordan4761
Vanuatu4860
Namibia4959
Croatia5057
Mauritius5057
Saudi Arabia5154
Rwanda5154
Malta5154
Greece5251
Cyprus5251
Grenada5251
Slovakia5349
Fiji5349
Costa Rica5448
Poland5545
Saint Lucia5545
Dominica5545
Italy5641
Georgia5641
Slovenia5641
Qatar5840
Latvia5939
Spain6035
Botswana6035
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines6035
Portugal6233
Lithuania6233
South Korea6331
Israel6331
Bahamas6430
Barbados6529
Chile6727
United Arab Emirates6727
Taiwan6825
Bhutan6825
United States6924
Seychelles7023
Austria7122
France7221
Japan7318
United Kingdom7318
Belgium7318
Canada7414
Uruguay7414
Estonia7414
Iceland7414
Australia7513
Hong Kong7612
Ireland7710
Germany799
Netherlands808
Switzerland827
Sweden835
Singapore835
Norway844
Finland872
New Zealand872
Denmark901
showing: 171 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