Bribery, embezzlement, abuse of power, extortion, blackmail, favoritism, nepotism, clientelism; the most corrupt countries 2013 list is filled with countries boasting all these charming traits that their citizens must deal with on a daily basis. Indeed, many of the liberties we take for granted in our democratic societies (not to say they don’t have their own small share of these elements) are simply not present in other countries of the world. They are essentially whole new worlds, with an entirely new set of rules.
You might have some idea of who would be on the most corrupt countries 2013 list, and would probably be interested in finding out the answer, but is there any actual method of fairly determining which countries are the most corrupt? There is in fact, and it’s Transparency International that gathers the data and collates it into a ranking called the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
The CPI ranks countries and territories based on their scores in several categories of corruption, which indicates the perceived level of corruption on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). According to Transparency International, no country has a perfect score naturally, and two-thirds of the countries score below 50. This indicates either a serious worldwide corruption problem in the modern world, or that people simply have little trust for their governments, police forces, and fellow civilians, which could be justified or misguided.
So, are you ready to see what the most corrupt countries 2013 list looks like? Let’s take a look at the following ranking and find out. And if you’re still interested in further reading on the subject with a different take, we also suggest you check out our feature story on the The 8 Most Corrupt Countries In the World, which we published in 2013.
No. 10: Syria
Score: 17, Rank: 168 out of 177
Syria, in the midst of a brutal civil war is well known for its corrupt business environment, which thwarts the economic prosperity and freedoms of the Syrian people. President Bashar al-Assad runs an extraordinarily corrupt government, replete with nepotism, money laundering, and brutality.
No. 9: Turkmenistan
Score: 17, Rank: 168 out of 177
Turkmenistan declared independence in 1991, but the totalitarian rule of the Soviets left its imprint on the Turkmenistan government. With power concentrated in the hands of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the government controls most economic sectors without publishing any global report. The people are suffering intense human rights violations and restrictions.
No. 8: Uzbekistan
Score: 17, Rank: 168 out of 177
Uzbekistan is rich in resources, but the government keeps control over all the resources without allowing for growth in the independent private sector. President Islam Karimov, an old Communist warhorse, controls the legislature, judiciary and the media, and keeps getting elected by suspiciously large margins.
No. 7: Iraq
Score: 16, Rank: 171 out of 177
During the Saddam regime, the corruption was so rampant that anyone who lifted a finger against the government was immediately captured and brutally murdered. Still, the corruption complicates and poisons the daily life of Iraqis in his absence, as the most devastating forms of bribery, shortage of electricity, fear of kidnapping, stealing of oil revenues by politicians, and so on continues to exist.
No. 6: Libya
Score: 15, Rank: 172 out of 177
In our most corrupt countries 2013 list, Libya ranks sixth. The corruption was widespread in Libya under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, one of the most ruthless dictators in history. Still, Libya is in the midst of post-revolutionary turmoil and it could take years to overcome its heavy heritage of corruption, and to build state institutions and establish the rule of law.
No. 5: South Sudan
Score: 14, Rank: 173 out of 177
South Sudan became independent in 2011, emerging from decades of civil war. Corruption permeates all sectors of the economy, including grand corruption and clientelistic networks along tribal lines.
No. 4: Sudan
Score: 11, Rank: 174 out of 177
Sudan is another country where decades of civil war, religious unrest, and political turmoil have given rise to corruption. The situation is worsened by a government under Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, that lacks transparency in general.
No. 3: Afghanistan
Score: 8, Rank: 175 out of 177
Afghanistan ranks third in our most corrupt countries 2013 list. Corruption is a widespread problem in Afghan society, with bribery and the menace of kickbacks. This widespread corruption hampers the government’s ability to collect revenue and hinders economic development and the effort to promote accountability.
No. 2: North Korea
Score: 8, Rank: 175 out of 177
North Korea has been plagued by structural corruption in its political and bureaucratic system since the early 1990’s. Bribes to public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, and embezzlement of public funds are considered as commonplace. Once you’re in this country, you either get captured or find worse fates, or you pay huge bribes to escape.
No. 1: Somalia
Score: 8, Rank: 175 out of 177
According to Transparency International’s 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index, Somalia is the world’s most corrupt country. Since 1991, Somalia has been essentially lawless, and has no government. Pirates seize ships at will, the al-Shabaab movement terrorizes much of the country, and the ineffective Transitional National Government specializes in looting foreign aid intended for starving refugees; and you can’t get much more corrupt and despicable than that.
