Corruption, as a negative social phenomenon, originated in the period of development of the first civilizations. The rulers of Sumer and Assyria tried to fight it, it struck ancient Egyptian society, and a treaty was published in India in the 4th century BC, where for the first time publicly condemned the corrupt actions of officials and the state as a whole. Since 1995, the non-governmental organization Transparency International has been calculating the corruption index, identifying the most corrupt countries in the world. In recent decades, the list has not changed, only countries sometimes change places in this ranking.
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First, we will understand what is the mechanism for calculating the corruption index, according to which a country takes its place in the list of corrupt states.
The index is derived from several independent surveys conducted by non-governmental, human rights, social and financial organizations. The coefficient “0” indicates a high level of corruption at all levels, but “100” indicates the complete absence of this negative phenomenon in the country.
It seems that the approach is the same, but in various sources you can find ratings in which there are differences in the distribution of places by the level of perception of corruption. There are those who criticize the system of such assessment.
Top 12 most corrupt countries in the world
We have chosen countries that are constantly among the leaders in the corruption index and from year to year only change their position in various ratings. At the very bottom of the article you can see all these countries on an interactive world map.
12
Angola
Let's start with the African state, in which bribery has acquired enormous proportions. And this phenomenon, even from the most “honest” country, will make the leader of corruption.
In Angola, corruption penetrated the highest echelons of power and the closest circle of state leaders. Malpractice has become commonplace. More recently, the daughter of the former president was accused of corruption, and the court arrested all of her assets. The son of the ex-president was also accused of fraud.
Do not steal where there is always peace. So, having solved the internal political problems of armed confrontations, it is possible to establish a social situation and overcome the negative phenomena in the country.
11
Libya
During the reign of Gaddafi, corruption in the country was of a clan character. But it should be noted that the country was developing, the well-being of the people was growing. But old, unresolved problems led to civil, and then military confrontation.
As a result of the war, the country practically broke up into separate parts, which their "kings" began to control. These self-proclaimed rulers have huge sums of money and their armies. All this only exacerbates a difficult situation.
Corruption has taken root and has become part of the national culture and life of the country. Central authorities are trying to fight this, but so far their actions have not brought positive results.
10
Yemen
A rather high corruption index is constantly observed in Yemen. This is a serious problem that has been struggling for many years. This state in the region of the Arabian Peninsula remains the most corrupt.
It would seem a rich country with oil reserves, but there are subtleties. In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in population, while water and oil reserves are declining. The standard of living of the population began to fall steadily. Against this background, the country has practically no control system, which is why corruption has hit state and private structures.
The saddest thing is that corruption has reached such proportions that it began to threaten the development of the economy and security of the Middle East state.
9
Iraq
In a Middle Eastern country, corruption is always an important topic of discussion. Political and public figures do not miss the opportunity to get extra points in the field of combating this negative phenomenon.
Each new government of Iraq invariably proclaims a course to fight corruption, special commissions and organizations are created. But corruption scandals with enviable regularity shock the country. Adds complexity to the political instability caused by the war and the confrontation of terrorist groups.
A special type of corruption actions, like blat and nepotism, has spread here. For example, a diplomatic scandal recently broke out. It turned out that the ambassadors in the leading Western states are the closest relatives of the Iraqi Foreign Minister.
8
Sudan
Corruption in this African state has long roots. The confrontation of ethnic entities and the struggle for power grew into a harsh civil war.
The economic downturn, the impoverishment of the population is taking place against the backdrop of the enrichment of government officials and senior military leaders. In 2019, he overthrew the next president, and then put him in jail, since $ 130 million was discovered at his home.
Omar al-Bashir, in addition to corruption, is also accused of mass executions of protesters. The court sentenced him to two years of corrective labor, but such a punishment does not solve the problem of corruption in the country. It is rooted in the highest echelons of power, becoming part of the state system.
7
Venezuela
This is the most corrupt country on the South American continent. Residents of the country associate their disasters with oil. It is strange, because this energy carrier, on the contrary, was to become a guarantee of well-being.
When oil fields began to be developed in the country in the 70s of the 20th century, Venezuelans called this liquid “devilish waste”. It was from this branch of the economy that metastases of corruption began to grow, affecting all areas.
Each ruler of the state solemnly proclaims the anti-corruption course, but the situation does not change. This is compounded by an overgrown bureaucracy and nepotism in power.
6
Syria
One of the oldest countries on the political map of the world, unfortunately, and one of the corrupt. The catalyst for the development of this phenomenon was the civil war. As a result, ISIL leaders controlled most of the country.
Syria is now reborn, but long-standing problems remain. All these factors have exacerbated the humanitarian situation in the country. Almost all international organizations recognize that the situation here is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe.
But here you can see a subjective trace. Western leaders and organizations conducting surveys on the corruption index accuse the Assad government of all the troubles of Syria. Yes, there is corruption, but, in the opinion of thebiggest.ru editorial board, it cannot be connected exclusively with the political system.
5
Afghanistan
The Islamic Republic has passed a difficult path of development, which is accompanied by constant military conflicts. The only stable period can be called 60-70s of the twentieth century.
The country is literally stuck in the Middle Ages with all its consequences. The central government has practically no control over the territory of the state, in which tribal leaders rule in some areas. Their power rests on military units. Bribery was widespread.
Another factor of corruption is drug trafficking. On the territory of Afghanistan, narcotic substances are produced, but the country is also an important transshipment point in the narcotic world traffic.
4
North Korea
It is hard to imagine how the polls are conducted, because North Korea is one of the most closed countries in the world. It is rather difficult for foreign citizens to enter the territory of the state.
But, despite this, the country is constantly among the leaders in terms of corruption. Perhaps this is simply a lack of acceptance by Western democracy of another socio-political system. But according to World Bank estimates, the GDP of an Asian country with a communist system has not exceeded $ 28 billion for many years.
Before the collapse of the socialist camp, the level of corruption was low, as Kim Il Sung's management style resembled Stalin's. Now the public sector is experiencing a deep crisis, and private business has begun to penetrate politics.
3
South Sudan
The constant conflicts between ethnic groups, the civil war, led to the collapse of the economy and the political system. As a result of the war, South Sudan separated from a single state, but this did not solve the problems.
More than half of the population lives below the poverty line, and GDP growth directly depends on oil production and export. A weak economy and political system contribute to the penetration of corruption in all spheres of life, including in the highest echelons of power. The situation is aggravated by the fact that there are no traditions of a stable and strong state power.
International human rights organizations believe that by resolving military conflicts, Sudan will be able to quickly solve its economic and political problems.
2
Somalia
The civil war led to the disintegration of the state into several parts, which are controlled by armed groups. Each has its own leader, who establishes laws and orders.
In 2012, with the assistance of the UN, a constitution was adopted that defines Somalia as a federal state. But this did not solve the problem of corruption. In 2019, the president passed a decree establishing a anti-corruption commission, but laws in this part of the world simply do not work.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that the standard of living of the population drops sharply. Nowhere to work, and therefore men are forced to take up arms, hunting and robbing and piracy. International organizations trying to solve problems simply do not have the opportunity to freely visit Somalia.
1
Nigeria
Nigeria has been mentioned many times on thebiggest.ru pages. One of the richest countries in the African continent is among the leaders in corruption of various kinds. She especially struck the government. The country has huge reserves of oil and natural gas, but Nigeria does not have the technology to produce them. The extraction and sale of useful energy is carried out by foreign companies. Here is food for corruption.
The rulers of the country conspire with oil producing corporations, giving oil fields for a lot of money. The population is getting poorer, and the country's leadership has millions of accounts in foreign banks. There is no responsibility of the authorities, having left leadership positions, it is simply impossible to prosecute on corruption charges.
Summarize
In conclusion, we note that among the post-Soviet countries, the highest corruption index is observed in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Lithuania and Ukraine. Separate studies are conducted annually by Forbes Magazine. In their ranking, Somalia is also among the leaders. In recent years, indicators of Russia and the United States have worsened. The most prosperous studies of Transparency International are Denmark and New Zealand.
TheBiggest editors ask you to write in the comments which, in your opinion, corrupt countries of the world should be included in this list, and which are here undeservedly.
And here is the map on which the most corrupt countries of the world are marked:
Article author: Valery Skiba