Haiti – 19

Extreme poverty in Haiti is the norm for almost all but the elite few who run the government, and has remained so even after the overthrow of former dictators and numerous promises of reform. Although it experienced its first peaceful transition of power in the 2011 election won by current President Michel Martelly, it remains shadowed by corruption. Less than a year after the election, Martelly was accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes from a Dominican Republic construction company, as well as protecting former president-for-life Jean-Claude Duvalier (who had spent 20 years in a self-imposed exile in France after he was deposed in 1986) from being charged for torture and murder during his reign. Additionally, Haiti’s two anti-corruption bodies, the Central Financial Enquiry Unit and the Unit in the Fight Against Corruption have repeatedly refused to pursue allegations of embezzlement and corruption within the government, most likely at the pressure of the current administration.

Venezuela – 20

Venezuela has repeatedly found itself near the top of the world’s most-corrupt countries list following the discovery of oil in the early 1900s. Oil is now known as “the devil’s excrement” for the negative effects it has on governments that harbor large quantities of the resource. With limited budget openness, nearly nonexistent freedom of the press, and the lowest ranked judicial independence system in the world, its corruption perception soared under the 14-year reign of former President Hugo Chávez. Although the recent March 2013 election of Nicolás Maduro (following Chávez’s death) may bring some changes, his assumption of power was challenged as suspicious and may foreshadow future corruption in his presidency.

Chad – 19

The majority of Chad’s population is in a constant cycle of suffering; dilapidated social and infrastructural conditions, poor access to health care, and constant violence between the religious populations has led to human rights abuses and impoverishment. The oil pipeline which runs from Chad to Cameroon benefits the government with billions of dollars annually, and a lack of call for transparency with the Chadian government has led to the money being spent on weapons and elitism instead of social reasons.

Equatorial Guinea – 19

Here is the dissonance: Equatorial Guinea has a GDP better than Italy or South Korea, which could technically rank it as one of the world’s richest nations. However, over 60 percent struggle below the poverty line of $1 a day. Billions of dollars are annually raked in from the wealth of oil and gas, but destitution reigns. The president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has been in power since 1979; his family and select wealthy elites have benefited where the rest of the country has suffered. Human Rights Watch cites many other cases of internal corruption, including the installation of Mbasogo’s son Teodoro as second vice president (not a position written in the constitution!); Teodoro’s Parisian mansion was raided by authorities in 2012, and millions of Euros of goods suspected to be purchased on embezzled funds. A new city for the wealthy being built in the rain forest, and a $77 million presidential guesthouse are just a few items on the list of corrupt deeds.

Guinea Bissau – 19

Labeled a “narcostate” on account of a high level of drug trafficking (mainly cocaine-dealing), Latin American countries ship trans-Atlantic loads of the powder successfully simply because Guinea Bissau is already boasting a high corruption index. While other countries like Afghanistan or Colombia have drug trades which operate through drug lords, its the entire country which benefits. General Antonio Indjai has controlled the country’s military state ever since the 2009 murder of the president, and he allegedly controls the trade as well. 40 metric tons a year gets sold through Guinea Bissau to other countries in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Yemen – 18

The poorest country in the Middle East is Yemen; half of its population is impoverished, and unemployment reigns. The imbalance of wealth based upon oil subsidies is a main reason for economic instability; the wealthy elite consume the most and benefit the most from fuel subsidies, and multiple calls to allocate money elsewhere (infrastructure, spending on the poor) have gone unanswered. Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh employed a patronage system to ensure that civil war would not break out during his term, paying huge sums to tribal, military, and political elites in order to mollify them, but not to quell the impoverishment of his people. Elections in 2014 look hopeless to most Yemeni as self-interest continues to reign.

Turkmenistan – 17

When a president receives 97 percent of the vote, as President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow did in 2012 – his most recent election for his second term – something seems fishy. In fact, during his first election, no opposition parties were permitted to elect a candidate to run against him. Bribery is pervasive in Turkmenistan’s government, and under Berdimuhamedow’s rule, the costs of bribes for everything from traffic offenses to more serious crimes have risen dramatically. The country ranks extraordinarily low for rule of law and accountability, and is widely considered an authoritarian regime despite its claims of democracy.

Uzbekistan – 17

In power since 1991, President Islam Karimov has maintained his hold on Uzbekistan with the help of ruthless security forces, along with the interior ministry. They have dismantled civil society groups that buck state policy, and Karimov’s administration effectively acts as the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government. In exchange for strategic support in the war in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan escaped the pressure of Western nations for more freedom and democracy in the country. They turned  a blind eye to human rights violations. The government has been accused of widespread torture, kidnapping, murder, rape by the police, financial corruption, religious persecution, and censorship. But at least they were helpful in an unwinnable war, right?

Syria – 17

The civil war between the government and the multiple guerrilla rebel factions has torn the country apart and killed hundreds of thousands, thrusting a higher number of refugees into neighboring countries. Bashar al-Assad’s government has been condemned by the Obama administration and blamed for the slaughtering of scores of civilians with chemical weapons and more. “The regime is collapsing, morally, materially and economically. Militarily it is crumbling as it no longer occupies more than 30% of Syrian territory,” said former Syrian prime minister Riyad Hijab in 2012. This is not so much corruption on a

Iraq – 16

The U.S. War on Terror that led forces to Iraq to overthrow former dictator Saddam Hussein was supposed to bring democracy and peace to the oil-rich but freedom-poor country. Since he was deposed, however, corruption has continued at high rates, and promises of reform have gone unfulfilled. President Jalal Talabani, in office since 2005, has made claim after claim of fighting corruption and uniting the diverse factions of the Iraqi people, but has himself been accused of allocating nearly $1 million dollars a month to fund his own office. With regard to openness of budget, Iraq is listed as having “scant to none,” – not exactly a promising description.

Libya – 15

Life was certainly not easy under the tyranny of Moammar Qaddafi, but after the fall of his regime, the new government does not hold up to anything resembling human rights. Hundreds of different militias armed with weapons which are trafficked without monitoring represent the circus of guns and bloodshed which still today prevail. In the capital of Tripoli, old fish markets are now bazaars where weapons are flagrantly sold. Police and military basically don’t exist, rather militias hired by the government to protect the airports and the oil reserves. In order to pass laws in parliament, militias have gone so far as to kidnap the prime minister. It’s almost not a matter of corruption, but helplessness on the part of the government.

South Sudan – 14

One of the most shameful and brutal ongoing situations in the world, the South Sudan won her independence in 2011 after a horrifying civil war, but hopes of a nascent nation maturing into goodness was soon quashed. Elizabeth Blackney, a Republican strategist and blogger, has cited that the South Sudan has faltered tremendously from “absolute neglect by the Obama administration,” who took the responsibility to pave the road to stability. Intense tribalism led to the displacement of over a million and the  slaughtering of thousands more since 2013, especially between factions loyal to the current President Kirr and those loyal to former Vice President Machar. Kiir’s government profits through corruption, with 98 percent of its revenue from oil sales (the country is home to Africa’s fifth-largest oil reserve), and despite billions of dollars in international donations, the infrastructure is pathetic and agriculture is waning.

Sudan – 11

After the independence of South Sudan in 2011, corruption in Sudan itself has only increased. President Omar al-Bashir established an anti-graft agency to increase accountability, but it is widely viewed as a cosmetic gesture, as no corruption has been reported since its inception. Embezzlement and fraud are common occurrences within government, and its open-budget rating is also considered “scant to none.” It is common to see millions of dollars come in from countries such as Algeria and Qatar, but no remark on where the money is spent. Al-Bashir is also accused of genocide and war crimes in Darfur, considered one of the world’s most devastating humanitarian crises of the modern age. However, with the control that the executive branch exerts over the judicial, it is impossible to get a conviction.

Afghanistan – 8

High hopes for a democratic Afghanistan once it was freed from Taliban rule were dashed when the alliance realized that instituting democracy was going to be harder than it thought. Although President Hamid Karzai is thought to be an ally of the West, he has done little to curb corruption throughout the country, even with regard to the suspected fraud in his own election. Additionally, financial scandals have abounded, illegal land-grabbing remains a constant concern (both by government forces and individuals), and terrorist organizations face little opposition in operating within the country’s borders.

North Korea – 8

Amid the daily concerns over North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, an erratic and inexperienced Kim Jong-un continues to threaten Western targets with potential missile attacks (although the number of memes that have popped up at his expense reveal that most people are wholly unconcerned). But draconian laws within the country are what really reveal the level of corruption North Koreans face, such as bans on foreign media, complete government control over radio and TV, and pervasive bribery within the police force. It is becoming less and less common for North Koreans to attempt to report on corruption. Fear of retaliation from the regime is high and expectations for results are low. And as Dennis Rodman’s incredible diplomacy efforts apparently failed to curb corruption activities, it seems the world may be out of options.

Somalia – 8

It’s a tough job to out-corrupt North Korea, but Somalia appeared up for it in 2013. A nonexistent system for accountability in the expenditure of public funds, abundant graft, and continued misplacement of international donor funds helped push Somalia to the top of the list. Promised reform has yet to take effect. A prolonged civil war in the 1990s, followed by an unstable and ineffective transitional government, allowed for corruption to take hold while the country was in a fragile state, and it has not yet been corrected. Current President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud took office in September 2012 and has been widely credited for attempts at reform, including the establishment of a joint financial management board (with international stakeholders) to ensure transparency in government, but its effectiveness has not been revealed as of yet. But there are signs of hope: the public sector has become gradually more free as the transitional government phased into the federal government of Somalia.