South Sudan and Somalia are the most corrupt countries globally, according to the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Libya, Eritrea, and Sudan are other African countries in the top ten most corrupt countries in the world. African nations dominated the top ten most corrupt countries in the world with five representatives.
This is according to the report released by Transparency International on Tuesday, February 9, 2026, after assessing 182 countries worldwide. According to the 2025 CPI, the list of the top 10 corruption-free nations is dominated largely by European countries.
Transparency International warned that corruption remains a major global threat, driven by weak political will, declining democratic institutions, and poor governance.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia and President Salva Kiir have a lot of work to do to get their countries out of the list of top ten most corruotion nations globally.
reports that Nigeria ranked 142nd in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, remaining below the global average.
The country scored 26 out of 100, sharing its position with Cameroon and Guinea.
- North Korea
- Syria
- Nicaragua
- Sudan
- Eritrea
- Libya
- Yemen
- Venezuela
- Somalia
- South Sudan
On the positive side, Seychelles leads Africa as the least corrupt, followed by Cape Verde, Botswana, and Rwanda.
Nigeria ranked 36th most corrupt country globally
Recall that Nigeria emerged as the 36th most corrupt country in the world, alongside Uganda, Mexico, Madagascar, Iraq, and Cameroon.
This was according to Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index released on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
From the report, Denmark was the least corrupt country in the world, followed by Finland and Singapore, while South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela ranked as the most corrupt nations.
