Somalia Ranked the Most Corrupt Country Globally in the Latest 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index

By: Transparency International

The index (CPI) ranks 180 countries and territories around the globe by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

According to Transparency International, more than two-thirds of countries have scores below 50 out of 100 on corruption indices, indicating significant corruption issues. The global average remains stagnant at 43, with the majority of countries showing little or no progress and some even experiencing declines over the past decade.

Both authoritarian and democratic leaders are said to be undermining justice, something which increases impunity for corruption, and even encouraging it by eliminating consequences for criminals.

“Corrupt acts like bribery and abuse of power are also infiltrating many courts and other justice institutions across the globe. Where corruption is the norm, vulnerable people have restricted access to justice while the rich and powerful capture whole justice systems, at the expense of the common good.”

The report does not absolve the countries that are perceived to be least corrupt and are said to have an impunity problem of their own with their companies and citizens involved in corruption abroad when they engage in bribery to boost their businesses.

For the sixth year in a row:

• Denmark heads the ranking, with a score of 90.
• Finland and New Zealand follow closely with scores of 87 and 85, respectively.
• Norway (84), Singapore (83), Sweden (82), Switzerland (82), the Netherlands (79), Germany (78) and Luxembourg (78) complete the top 10 this year.

Meanwhile, countries experiencing conflict or with highly restricted freedoms and weak democratic institutions tend to score worst. This year:

• Somalia (11), Venezuela (13), Syria (13) and South Sudan (13) are at the bottom of the index.
• Yemen (16), Nicaragua (17), North Korea (17), Haiti (17), Equatorial Guinea (17), Turkmenistan (18) and Libya (18) are the next lowest performers.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, despite improvement in some countries, most maintain a low score. The regional average is 33, the world’s lowest. Scores in the Middle East and North Africa region show little improvement with an average of 38, reflecting ongoing struggles with political corruption and conflict.

Addressing Sub-Saharan Africa’s corruption problem, the index notes:

“Despite a regional survey ranking corruption among the most important problems that Africans want their governments to address, the 2023 CPI shows that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have a long way to go in their fight against corruption.”

Below is the list of African countries, from least to most corrupt with their global rank:

1. Seychelles – 20
2. Cabo Verde – 30
3. Botswana – 39
4. Rwanda – 49
5. Mauritius – 55
6. Namibia – 59
7. Sao Tome and Principe – 67
8. Benin – 70
9. Ghana – 70
10. Senegal – 70
11. Burkina Faso – 83
12. South Africa – 83
13. Cote d’Ivoire – 87
14. Tanzania – 87
15. Tunisia – 87
16. Morocco – 97
17. Ethiopia – 98
18. Gambia – 98
19. Zambia – 98
20. Algeria – 104
21. Egypt – 108
22. Sierra Leone – 108
23. Malawi – 115
24. Angola – 121
25. Niger – 125
26. Kenya – 126
27. Togo – 126
28. Djibouti – 130
29. Eswatini – 130
30. Mauritania – 130
31. Gabon – 136
32. Mali – 136
33. Cameroon – 140
34. Guinea – 141
35. Uganda – 141
36. Liberia – 145
37. Madagascar –  145
38. Mozambique – 145
39. Nigeria – 145
40. Central African Republic – 149
41. Zimbabwe – 149
42. Central African Republic – 24
43. Congo – 158
44. Guinea Bissau – 158
45. Eritrea – 161
46. Burundi – 162
47. Chad  – 162
48. Comoros – 162
49. Democratic Republic of Congo – 162
50. Sudan – 162
51. Libya – 170
52. Equatorial Guinea – 172
53. South Sudan – 177
54. Somalia – 180

Corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check. When justice is bought or politically interfered with, it is the people that suffer. Leaders should fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption. It is time to end impunity for corruption.

– François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International