Top 10 Most Corrupt Countries

Feb. 18, 2016
"To stamp out the abuse of power, bribery and shed light on secret deals, citizens must together tell their governments they have had enough," explains José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International.

The Corruption Perceptions Index 2015, which was released late January, ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. A country's rank indicates its position relative to the other countries and territories included in the index.

The Corruption Perceptions Index is based on expert opinions of public sector corruption. Countries’ scores can be helped by open government where the public can hold leaders to account, while a poor score is a sign of prevalent bribery, lack of punishment for corruption and public institutions that don’t respond to citizens’ needs.

“The 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index clearly shows that corruption remains a blight around the world,” said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International. “But 2015 was also a year when people again took to the streets to protest corruption. People across the globe sent a strong signal to those in power: it is time to tackle grand corruption.”

"Corruption can be beaten if we work together," added Ugaz. "To stamp out the abuse of power, bribery and shed light on secret deals, citizens must together tell their governments they have had enough."

The group says that poor countries lose $1 trillion a year to corruption.