The 10 Most Corrupt Countries in the world

The 10 Most Corrupt Countries, Ranked By Perception
A country in the Middle East tops the list.

Dozens of Iraqis shout slogans and wave national flags during a demonstration outside the local government headquarters in the southern city of Basra in July 2018 as they protest against poor services, unemployment, and corruption.(HAIDAR MOHAMMED ALI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

CORRUPTION IS OFTEN IN the eye of the beholder, largely tied to individual beliefs about right and wrong.

Iraq, a country new this year to the Best Countries rankings, is perceived to be the most corrupt in the world, according to 2019 data from the rankings, a characterization of 80 countries based on a survey of more than 20,000 global citizens.

In the survey, respondents answered how closely they related each of the 80 countries to the term "corrupt," an adjective that has Merriam-Webster juggling definitions from "tainted or rotten" to "morally debased." Respondents were given no further specifications of the term, so interpretation of the word was left to them.

[MORE: The 25 Best Countries in the World]

Demonstrators in Iraq have recently taken to the streets, angry about corruption. In December 2018, protesters ransacked government offices while demanding jobs and better public services, according to Reuters.

Thousands of American troops also remain in the war-torn country, where forces on the ground continue to fight the Islamic State group. Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has called for limiting both U.S. and Iranian involvement in Iraqi affairs.

Pakistan – a country accused of knowingly harboring the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden – who died in 2011 – follows at No. 2, and Iran places third on the corruption ranking. Mexico, which is plagued by stories of deadly drug cartels, makes an appearance at No. 7, and Myanmar and Guatemala round out the top 10.

By comparison, Russia – the world's largest nation, which has been accused of election meddling and Olympic doping – did not make the top 10 this year. The Kremlin ranked No. 12.

The United States landed at No. 60 in the corruption ranks and Australia and Canada ranked No. 79 and No. 80, respectively, making them the countries viewed as the least corrupt.

Below are the 10 countries perceived to be the most corrupt, and more country-related rankings can be found here.

COUNTRY               CORRUPT RANK                   BEST COUNTRIES OVERALL RANK
Iraq                               1                                           80
Pakistan                       2                                           75
Iran                               3                                           79
Nigeria                       4                                                  74
Colombia               5                                           66
Angola                       6                                           78
Mexico                       7                                           35
Ghana                       8                                           69
Myanmar               9                                           61
Guatemala              10                                           64

Tags: #corruption #Iraq #Pakistan #Iran #Nigeria #Colombia #Mexico #Ghana #Myanmar #Guatemala