According to a survey carried out by Transparency International across 95 countries, one in four people have paid a bribe to a public body over the past year. Political parties and the police are seen as the most corrupt institutions worldwide.
The dreadful record of African nations with regards to bribery immediately stands out. In fact, nine countries out of the top ten are in Africa, with the exception of Yemen, which comes third. 74 percent of people in Yemen admitted to paying a bribe over the course of the past year.
Liberia is the world’s second worst country when it comes to corruption – the poverty-ridden West African nation has a bribery rate of 75 percent. Liberia’s direct neighbour, Sierra Leone, earns the title of the most corrupt nation on earth.
Sierra Leone is well known for its brutal civil war that took place between 1991 and 2002, fuelled by blood diamonds and bribery. Today, most observers feel that the elimination of corruption in the country must be achieved for any chance of an economic recovery.
Though efforts are being made to tackle the problem, it is still endemic. With 84 percent of people in Sierra Leone admitting to paying a bribe in the past year, finding a solution to the corruption culture may prove an insurmountable task.
Sierra Leone is the Most Corrupt Nation on Earth
Description
This chart shows the share of the population that admitted paying a bribe in the world’s top ten countries for corruption.
