Top 10 Most Corrupt Countries

Rank 1:-

        Country Name:-  Somalia

        Corruption Perceptions Index Score:- 1.1

Somalia is located in The Horn of Africa, a region in the easternmost part of this continent. In ancient times, this country was a significant grounds for commerce. During the late nineteenth century through mid-twentieth century, Great Britain and Italy began colonizing parts of Somalia, leading to conflict with local government. This lasted until 1960, when the Somali Republic gained independence and unity.

Somalia has lacked an effective government since 1991. In addition to no central control, radical militant groups are a huge problem in this country, and the issue of Islamic insurgency does not seem like it will go away any time soon.

In such a lawless country, many business warlords have taken advantage of the situation by skipping taxes, selling food and drugs that are expired, and commercializing public-sector parts of the economy for their own profit. The government powers that do exist are considered extremely ineffectual, and do not provide sufficient food or education resources. In addition to the government having no reliable source of income, Somalia’s citizens face kidnapping, murder, roadblocks and many other means of arbitrary violence. Along with to all of these inland problems, water off of Somalia’s coast is plagued with pirates, so it is not a safe place to visit.

Rank 2:-

        Country Name:- Myanmar

        Corruption Perceptions Index Score:- 1.4

Myanmar, also known as Burma, probably wins the prize for worst public relations of the year. Last fall, the military-led government cracked down on protesting monks, killing a few in the riots that broke out as the government rounded up protesters. Internet access was blocked to prevent news from getting out to the outside world.

To top it off, in May the Burmese government hindered international relief efforts after the most damaging cyclone in its history, which killed an estimated 130,000. America's first lady, Laura Bush, has led an active campaign against the military junta, calling on international bodies to pressure it to move toward democracy.

Rank 3:-

        Country Name:- Afghanistan

        Corruption Perceptions Index Score:- 1.4

Afghanistan is located in Central Asia, being a landlocked mountainous country that has been inhabited for thousands of years. Many different types of people have lived in Afghanistan throughout the ages, being in a geographical and social location between the Middle East and Central Asia. Various empires had presence here, including the Mughals and Timurids. Afghanistan even acted as a buffer zone between the Russian and British Empires in the late 1800s.

In addition to violence and poverty, corruption is seen as a huge problem to overcome in Afghanistan. According to a UNODC survey, 59% of people in Afghanistan perceive dishonesty as a bigger problem than insecurity or unemployment. Bribery is a huge issue, as well as people making money from opium. However, these two factors are considered to be the two highest sources of income in the country. While this does generate money for some, Afghanistan is still one of the poorest countries on earth.

Rank 4:-

        Country Name:- Iraq

        Corruption Perceptions Index Score:- 1.5

Along with its complicated political history, the past few decades have been plagued with violent conflict. There was a war between Iraq and Iran from 1988-89, followed by the Gulf War in 1991. The invasion by US troops in 2003 practically destroyed the economy of Iraq, and insurgency is still a factor of everyday life. Violence was at a peak in 2007, but has been in decline since then. Nevertheless, people in Iraq are far from safe; kidnappings, bomb assaults, shootings and robberies are very common in its cities.

The government of Iraq is still very unstable, and the minority groups like Kurds, Assyrians, Roma and Iraqi Turkmen are still treated below Iraqi Arabs. In 2009, the ministry of trade was accused of buying food unfit for human consumption, and then selling this food to traders instead of giving it away, making millions of dollars in revenue. Though there is a war on insurgency, the war of corruption is perceived as an equally detrimental problem.

Rank 5:-

        Country Name:- Uzbekistan

        Corruption Perceptions Index Score:- 1.6

After being ruled for over 100 years by the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan became a sovereign nation in 1991. Today, Uzbekistan is the most populated country in Central Asia, and is rich in resources like cotton, gold and oil.

Despite its history, the country of Uzbekistan is currently full of complications, politically and socially. For many years, corruption has been a growing issue in this country that only keeps getting worse. Economic development is under strict control by Uzbekistan’s government, as they do not allow the growth of an independent private sector. Even though the population suffers from poverty, officials continue to restrict foreign investment and imports. The key exports of this resource-rich country only reap benefits for the ruling elite, so the rest of the population does not prosper from any of this exclusive wealth.

Though Uzbekistan has a constitution, many human rights organizations denounce this country as being authoritarian, having a government that takes extreme measures against human rights. One example of this is how the Tajik population is not allowed to speak their own language, and their literary works are often destroyed. The Uzbek government is also known for implementing torture, and not allowing any legal political opposition. While the constitution does allow press freedom, in actuality, the government maintains strict measures of censorship.

Rank 6:-

        Country Name:- Turkmenistan

        Corruption Perceptions Index Score:- 1.6

Turkmenistan is a politically corrupt nation, largely due to the government being controlled by one party. The current leader of this country, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, is known as being very vain, also promoting his own cult of personality. Since his rule started in 2006, he has named a mosque after himself, and made sure that bookstores were stocked with his own work.

Turkmenistan remains underdeveloped, partially because of the lack of direct foreign investment from other nations. The government also has a monopoly over the media. This country does not allow political gatherings, unless they are sanctioned by the government.

Turkmenistan is also notorious for being a racist country. There are many regulations against the citizens being allowed to travel abroad. Institutions often practice discrimination against non-Turkmen minorities; universities are often told to reject applicants who do not have Turkmen family names.

Rank 7:-

        Country Name:- Sudan

        Corruption Perceptions Index Score:-    1.6

Sudan is the largest country in Africa, and its land has a wide geographical diversity. Located in the northeastern section of this continent, the culture of Sudan has an extensive history that goes back to ancient times. It is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Crisis.

Southern Sudan has seceded as an autonomous region in July 2011. Though it is set to be a separate state, this region still remains one of the poorest places on earth. There are high levels of corruption in Southern Sudan, causing a major block to any progress. Because of the many violent episodes, the regional infrastructure has been destroyed, and due to its lack of money, a new system will be very hard to rebuild.

Rank 8:-

        Country Name:- Chad

        Corruption Perceptions Index Score:-    1.7

The Central African country of Chad is consistently in the top-ten list for most corrupt nations. In addition to being one of the world’s poorest countries, it is considered incredibly unstable, as rebel forces often attempt to overthrow the government; Chad’s president, Idriss Deby, has faced two attempted coups in 2006 and 2008. Part of the reason for this unrest is that he removed the two-term limit on presidency from the constitution to start his third term in 2006, which caused uproar from his opponents. These are some of the reasons why Chad has earned its nickname, the “Dead Heart of Africa.

Most citizens of Chad are extremely poor, living as subsistence herders and farmers, in which people can only tend to what can feed their families. Access to water is a common problem in this country. Ever since Chad’s civil war in 1987, the development of a railroad infrastructure has been hindered. The communications system is at a bare minimum; there are only about 14,000 fixed telephone lines for the entire country. The print media is heavily censored by the government, and most of the people there cannot read anyway. Most of Chad’s roads cannot be used for several months throughout the year. Parents are often negligent to send their children to school.

Rank 9:-

        Country Name:- Burundi

        Corruption Perceptions Index Score:- 1.8

Burundi is a small, landlocked country of Eastern Africa. It has had an unfortunate history of corruption and violence that has lasted up until today. Burundi used to be a part of German East Africa, then became a UN trust territory in 1923. This country gained independence in 1963, but this was only followed by years of coups and brutal rebellions.

Burundi has had ongoing problems of ethnic tensions and fights. The population consists mainly of the Hutu (about 85%), and the Tutsi (about 14%), which was an identity enforced by the Belgians in 1933. Though these two separate groups are a reality for the inhabitants of Burundi, they are culturally and historically very similar people.

In 2009, Ernest Manirumva, the country’s head anti-corruption campaigner, was abducted from this office, taken to his house, and stabbed to death. In addition to large measures of corruption, Burundi’s citizens suffer from problems like lack of education, poverty and high rates of HIV/AIDS.

Rank 10:-

        Country Name:- Equatorial Guinea

        Corruption Perceptions Index Score:- 1.9

Equatorial Guinea has been through an unfortunate history since the 20th century. They became an independent nation from Spain in 1968. Their first president, Francisco Macias Nguema converted Equatorial Guinea into a single-party state in 1970, which was followed by a reign of terror that killed thousands of people and displaced even more. This dictator was overthrown in 1979, and President Teodoro Obiang has ruled ever since. Even though this country lists itself as a constitutional democracy, their political elections are almost always seen as rigged, and there have been over 10 attempts to overthrow the government.

Today, Equatorial Guinea makes a great deal of money from oil wealth, but this money is mainly distributed to people in the government and elite class. About 70% of the population is living under $2 a day, and the development of living standards has been very slow. This country also has one of the worst human rights’ histories in the world. According to the UN, less than 50% of people in Equatorial Guinea can access clean water. Its press is also heavily regulated and censored.