The Most Corrupt Countries in the World

In Articles, Current Affairs
January 29, 2016

In order to identify the 15 most corrupt countries in the world. The lowest 15 index scores from Transparency International’s 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index of 168 countries. Nations were assessed by experts as part of a variety of data sources. National economic data came from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). GDP per capita figures are based on purchasing power parity. Literacy rates, Gini index scores, and poverty rates are from the World Bank. All data are as of the most recent period available.

These are the 15 most corrupt nations in the world.

The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. A country or territory’s score indicates the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 – 100, where 0 means that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and 100 means it is perceived as very clean. A country’s rank indicates its position relative to the other countries and territories included in the index.

1. North Korea

# North Korea, officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.

# The name Korea is derived from the Kingdom of Goguryeo, also spelled as Koryŏ.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 8 (tied-the worst)

# Region: Asia Pacific

# GDP per capita: N/A

# Capital: Pyongyang
# Supreme leader: Kim Jong-un
# Currency: North Korean won
# Premier: Pak Pong-ju
# Population: 24.9 million (2013) World Bank

2. Somalia

# Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa.

# It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 8 (tied-the worst)

# Population: N/A

# Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

# GDP per capita: N/A

# Capital: Mogadishu
# Currency: Somali shilling
# President: Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud
# Prime minister: Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
# Neighboring countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti

3. Afghanistan

# Afghanistan officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia.

# It has a population of approximately 32 million, making it the 42nd most populous country in the world.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 11

# Population: 32.0 million

# Region: Europe & Central Asia

# GDP per capita: $1,957.64

# Capital: Kabul
# President: Ashraf Ghani
# Currency: Afghan afghani
# Official languages: Pashto, Dari

4. Sudan

# Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in north-east Africa.

# It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, to the east, South Sudan to the south.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 12

# Population: 38.4 million

# Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

# GDP per capita: $4,355.92

# Capital: Khartoum
# Dialing code: +249
# ISO code: SDN
# Area: 1.886 million km²
# Currency: Sudanese pound
# President: Omar al-Bashir

5. Angola

# Angola is a southern African nation whose varied terrain encompasses tropical Atlantic beaches, a labyrinthine system of rivers and Sub-Saharan desert that extends across the border into Namibia.

# The country’s colonial history is reflected in its Portuguese-influenced cuisine and its landmarks including Fortaleza de São Miguel, built by the Portuguese in 1576 to defend the capital, Luanda.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 15 (tied-5th worst)

# Population: 25.1 million

# Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

# GDP per capita: $7,375.98

# Capital: Luanda
# Dialing code: +244
# ISO code: AGO
# Currency: Angolan kwanza
# President: José Eduardo dos Santos
# Official language: Portuguese

6. South Sudan

# South Sudan, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in northeastern Africa that gained its independence from Sudan in 2011.

# Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city.South Sudan, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in northeastern Africa that gained its independence from Sudan in 2011.

# Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 15 (tied-5th worst)

# Population: 11.9 million

# Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

# GDP per capita: $1,888.62

# Capital: Juba
# Dialing code: +211
# ISO code: SSD
# Currency: South Sudanese pound
# President: Salva Kiir Mayardit
# Neighboring countries: Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Kenya

7. Iraq

# Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia.

# The country borders Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to the west.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 16 (tied-7th worst)

# Population: 35.2 million

# Region: Middle East & North Africa

# GDP per capita: $15,112.95

# Capital: Baghdad
# Currency: Iraqi dinar
# Prime minister: Haider al-Abadi
# President: Fuad Masum
# Neighboring countries: Syria, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan

8. Libya
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# Libya is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 16 (tied-7th worst)

# Population: 6.3 million

# Region: Middle East & North Africa

# GDP per capita: $14,854.52

# Capital: Tripoli
# Dialing code: +218
# ISO code: LBY
# Currency: Libyan dinar
# Prime minister: Abdullah al-Thani
# Neighboring countries: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Chad, Niger

9. Haiti
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# Haiti is a Caribbean country that shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic to its east.

# Though it’s still recovering from a 2010 earthquake, many of Haiti’s landmarks dating to the early 19th century remain intact.

# These include Citadelle la Ferrière, a mountaintop fortress, and the nearby ruins of Sans-Souci Palace, the baroque former royal home of King Henry I.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 17 (tied-9th worst)

# Population: 10.6 million

# Region: Americas

# GDP per capita: $1,793.69

# Capital: Port-au-Prince
# Dialing code: +509
# ISO code: HTI
# Currency: Haitian gourde
# President: Michel Martelly

10. Guinea-Bissau
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# Guinea-Bissau is a tropical country on West Africa’s Atlantic coast that’s known for national parks and wildlife.

# The forested, sparsely populated Bijagós archipelago is a protected biosphere reserve. Its main island, Bubaque, forms part of the Orango Islands National Park, a habitat for saltwater hippos.

# On the mainland, the capital, Bissau, is a port with Portuguese colonial buildings in its old city center.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 17 (tied-9th worst)

# Population: 1.8 million

# Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

# GDP per capita: $1,505.94

# Capital: Bissau
# Currency: West African CFA franc
# President: José Mário Vaz
# Prime minister: Carlos Correia
# Points of interest: Orango Islands National Park, etc.

11. Venezuela
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# Venezuela is a country on the northern coast of South America with diverse natural attractions. Along its Caribbean coast are tropical resort islands including Isla de Margarita and the Los Roques archipelago.

# To the northwest are the Andes Mountains and the colonial town of Mérida, a base for hiking Sierra Nevada National Park.

#Caracas, the capital, is to the north.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 17 (tied-9th worst)

# Population: 30.9 million

# Region: Americas

# GDP per capita: $15,891.69

# Capital: Caracas
# Dialing code: +58
# ISO code: VEN
# Currency: Venezuelan bolívar
# President: Nicolás Maduro
# Official language: Spanish

12. Eritrea
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# Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. With its capital at Asmara, it is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 18 (tied-12th worst)

# Population: 6.8 million

# Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

# GDP per capita: $1,175.72

# Capital: Asmara
# Dialing code: +291
# ISO code: ERI
# Currency: Eritrean nakfa
# President: Isaias Afwerki
# University: University of Asmara

13. Syria
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# Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia.

# De jure Syrian territory borders Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest, but the government’s control now extends to approximately 30–40% of the de jure state area and less than 60% of the population.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 18 (tied-12th worst)

# Region: Middle East & North Africa

# GDP per capita: N/A

# Capital: Damascus
# President: Bashar al-Assad
# Prime minister: Wael Nader al-Halqi
# Population: 22.85 million (2013) World Bank
# Currency: Syrian pound
# Neighboring countries: Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan

14. Turkmenistan
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# Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia bordered by the Caspian Sea and largely covered by the Karakum Desert.

# It’s known for archaeological ruins including those at Nisa and Merv, major stops along the ancient trade route the Silk Road.

# Ashgabat, the capital, was rebuilt in Soviet style in the mid-20th century and is filled with grand monuments honoring former president Saparmurat Niyazov.

# Corruption index score (0-100): 18 (tied-12th worst)

# Population: 5.9 million

# Region: Europe & Central Asia

# GDP per capita: $15,334.52

# Capital: Ashgabat
# Dialing code: +993
# Currency: Turkmenistan manat
# President: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

15. Yemen
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# Yemen, officially known as the Republic of Yemen, is an Arab country in Western Asia, occupying the southwestern to the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula.