The 16 countries with the most corrupt governments in the world

World News & Politics / Date: 04-08-2025

The least corrupt country in the world is Denmark, with 87 points. The most corrupt is Somalia, with only 9 points.

The CPI is based on a rigorous methodology . It uses data from various sources and transforms into numbers the perception of experts and the private sector regarding corruption in the public sector of the country studied.

16. Cambodia (Asia)

Grade : 20

Cambodia has a very sad recent history. The dictatorship that the country experienced in the 1970s persecuted opponents, maintained concentration camps and perpetrated a true genocide, killing around 2 million people. Since 1985, the country has been led by Prime Minister Hun Sen. With the main opposition party outlawed, authoritarianism continues in the country.

13-15. Turkmenistan (Central Asia)

Grade : 19

Turkmenistan is perhaps the most authoritarian country on earth. Everything there is spied upon, as in the former Soviet Union. Christians are persecuted and religious services monitored. There is no freedom of assembly and no freedom of the press. It would be no surprise that in such a centrally controlled and repressive government there would be significant amounts of corruption.

13-15. Congo (Africa)

Grade : 19

It's easy to confuse the Republic of the Congo with its much larger neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but they are separate nations. Congo appears on this list because, since its independence from France, the nation has endured a repressive regime, rigged elections, and a couple of civil wars.

13-15. Burundi (Africa)

Grade : 19

Together with its northern neighbor, Rwanda, Burundi was the site of a genocide in the 1990s, as a result of the conflict between two tribes that inhabit the nation: the Hutu and the Tutsi. The nation is no longer in conflict today, but poverty, political oppression and the absence of room for the dense population have made corruption worse.

10-12. Guinea-Bissau (Africa)

Grade : 18

Guinea-Bissau is a small nation with numerous cultures and languages. Ever since its independence from Portugal in 1974, the nation has experienced political turmoil and numerous coups d'état. Even though it is one of the largest cashew nut exporters to the rest of the world, there is still much poverty in Guinea-Bissau.

10-12. Democratic Republic of the Congo (Africa)

Grade : 18

The Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) has had a great political instability in its recent history. Although an agreement was signed between political forces in 2003, there have been problems ever since. To add to that, the nation has endured a persistent threat since the 1970s: Ebola.

10-12. Haiti (Central America)

Grade : 18

At the end of 2019, 15 years after the arrival of the peacekeepers in Haiti, the UN peacekeeping mission was completed. But judging by the series of protests caused by insecurity, fuel shortages, hunger and corruption, it seems that the political and social crisis is far from over.

9. North Korea (Asia)

Grade : 17

Known for being the most closed country in the world, North Korea makes headlines mainly because of its (possible) nuclear weapons. All power is in the hands of the country's dictator, who can do whatever he wants, and the elite live well at the expense of the misery of the majority of the population. If this were a ranking of the most oppressive countries, perhaps North Korea would be in contention for the top spot...

5-8. Afghanistan (Middle East)

Grade : 16

Most people know Afghanistan because of the US war against terrorists in the region. But it was one of the first great centers of civilization and is still an important place in Asia today. The war and the problems with the Taliban have created a lot of room for corruption, and many officials receive bribes.

5-8. Sudan (Africa)

Grade : 16

South of Egypt, Sudan also had a strong kingdom that constructed pyramids and even invaded the pharaohs' land! In 2011, Sudan lost its status as the biggest country in Africa because South Sudan broke away from the remainder of the nation following a brutal war. The two factions have been in conflict regarding religious matters and ownership of natural resources, such as the oil of the region.

5-8. Equatorial Guinea (Africa)

Grade : 16

Equatorial Guinea is Africa's smallest state and the sole one on the continent where the official language is Spanish. Equatorial Guinea is rich in oil reserves, yet only a tiny fraction of its population enjoys the dividends. Teodoro Obiang Nguema's regime, which has been in power since 1979! - is known to suppress the opposition and fail to hold free elections.

5-8. Venezuela (South America)

Grade : 16

If it weren’t for the chaos in the country, Venezuela would be a great place for any nature lover to visit. But the country is also known for having the highest number of murders, an increasingly oppressive regime, and a lot of social instability. The country has dropped a few positions in the corruption rankings in recent years and is now among the 5 most corrupt countries in the world.

4. Yemen (Middle East)

Grade : 15

Yemen has been a significant location throughout history where a number of trade routes between Asia, Africa and the Middle East converge. Although one of the few democratic republics in the area, corruption in Yemen has grown as a result of the civil war, a coup d'état and Saudi Arabian tensions.

3. Syria (Middle East)

Grade : 13

Syria is currently being used as a staging ground for several international conflicts. There are not just two sides to the war, there are several groups with different interests and they are all playing dirty. At the beginning of 2020, entering the 10th year of war, the Syrians had already counted almost 400 thousand victims.

2. South Sudan (Africa)

Grade : 12

Created in 2011, South Sudan is (for now) the newest country in the world! But the war of independence fought with the other Sudan did not solve the country's problems. There is a lot of poverty and the government (which is dealing with a civil war) is repressive. The youngest state in the world still has a long way to go...

1. Somalia (Africa)

Grade : 9

Is there a more symbol of corruption than a pirate? Somalis have been a hub of sea navigation dating back to ancient times, and now it has been in the headlines for its contemporary pirates floating around the oceans. Civil war and abject poverty have destroyed the nation, which was also a cultural epicenter of the region.