* The CPI evaluates 180 countries and territories based on their level of public sector corruption, according to experts and businesspeople. 100 corresponds to a very clean sector and 0 to a very corrupt sector.
This statistic presents the ranking of the most corrupt countries in the world in 2023. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Somalia was one of the most corrupt countries in the world, alongside Venezuela and Syria.
Corruption is closely linked to civil liberties and weakens democracy
Corruption is defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It can take many forms and, at the state level, it manifests as politicians misusing public money or their position, granting jobs or public contracts to their sponsors, friends, and families. Countries that violate civil liberties consistently score lower on the CPI. For example, Syria was also ranked last in terms of civil liberties in 2021. Corruption weakens democracy, hinders economic development, and exacerbates inequality and poverty: it is extremely high in countries with the lowest GDP. In authoritarian contexts where control over government, businesses, and media is in the hands of a few, social movements remain the last counterbalance to power according to Daniel Eriksson, CEO of Transparency International.
In the Middle East and Africa, corruption is particularly widespread
In the Middle East and Africa, the interests of powerful people in power continue to dominate the political and private spheres. Combined with armed conflicts, violent power transitions, and terrorist threats, corruption deprives citizens of their fundamental rights and services. In Syria, corruption is caused by the authoritarian regime of Bashar Al-Assad, still in place after more than 10 years of civil war, triggered by the population uprising in spring 2011. In South Sudan, more than 73 million U.S. dollars have been embezzled since 2018 according to the latest UN report released in 2021. Since 2013, the country has been plunged into a civil war opposing the South Sudanese government of President Salva Kiir to a rebellion led by former Vice President Riek Machar, which has caused a catastrophic economic and humanitarian crisis. Finally, corruption is one of the main causes and consequences of political instability in Somalia, caused by civil war, tensions between traditional clans, and recurring famines.
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Transparency International. (January 29, 2024). Ranking of the most corrupt countries in the world in 2023 [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from /statistics/1638659/most-corrupt-countries-in-the-world/
Transparency International. "Ranking of the most corrupt countries in the world in 2023." Chart. January 29, 2024. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 23, 2026. /statistics/1638659/most-corrupt-countries-in-the-world/
Transparency International. (2024). Ranking of the most corrupt countries in the world in 2023. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 23, 2026. /statistics/1638659/most-corrupt-countries-in-the-world/
Transparency International. "Ranking of The Most Corrupt Countries in The World in 2023." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 29 Jan 2024, /statistics/1638659/most-corrupt-countries-in-the-world/
Transparency International, Ranking of the most corrupt countries in the world in 2023 ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1638659/most-corrupt-countries-in-the-world/ (last visited July 23, 2026)
Ranking of the most corrupt countries in the world in 2023 [Graph], Transparency International, January 29, 2024. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1638659/most-corrupt-countries-in-the-world/
