Since the turn of the century, Transparency International has produced the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). This Index ranks countries from 100, very clean, to 0, very corrupt, bases on “their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys.” The CPI defines corruption as”the misuse of public power for private benefit.” The U.S., with 74 points, ties for 17th place with Barbados, Hong Kong, and Ireland.
The Top Five Least Corrupt Countries:
1. Denmark
Score: 92
2. New Zealand
Score: 91
3. Finland
Score: 89
4. Sweden
Score: 87
5. Norway & Switzerland
Score: 86
The Top Five Most Corrupt Countries
173. South Sudan
Score: 15
The country’s wealth stems from the annual production of approximately 10 billion dollars worth of oil. Of that $10 billion, about $4 billion goes unaccounted for each year.
174. Afghanistan
Score: 12
In 2010 the Kabul Bank collapsed, drastically ruining the nation’s economy. According to John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, “the biggest driver of the bank’s collapse was $935 million skimmed and stolen, the vast majority of it – 92 percent – by just 19 people.”
175. Sudan
Score: 11
Corruption runs rampant in the police department as well as the private sector, with officers denying basic services unless offered a bribe.
176. North Korea
Score: 8
North Korea has been runner up for most corrupt country since 2011. As one of the last communist countries in the world, North Korea suffers from food shortages, a closed economy, and unchecked political rulers. Concentration camps throughout the country, such as Hoeryong which holds 500,000 men, women, and children, are comparable to the holocaust.
177. Somalia
Score: 8
A U.N. report describes the Somalian Government as a “Slush Fund,” with 80% of government withdrawals being used for personal needs by the private sector. The report warns that “the various spoilers identified by the Monitoring Group threaten to undermine legitimate authority in the country as well as international assistance efforts”.
