Control of Corruption by Country — 2023 World Rankings
World Bank governance indicator measuring control of corruption (-2.5 to +2.5).
Updated May 2026 · Source: World BankIn 2023, Denmark leads the world in control of corruption with 2.38, followed by Finland (2.22), Norway (2.11), New Zealand (2.08), Singapore (2.04). At the other end, South Sudan ranks last at -1.97. The global median is -0.23 (Belize). This ranking covers 205 countries and is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators, one of the most authoritative sources for international economic statistics.
The top 10 countries are: 1. Denmark, 2. Finland, 3. Norway, 4. New Zealand, 5. Singapore, 6. Sweden, 7. Switzerland, 8. Luxembourg, 9. Netherlands, 10. Australia. All data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators and updated regularly. Free API access is available for developers and researchers.
| # | Country | Control of Corruption | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Denmark | 2.38 | 2023 |
| 2 |  Finland | 2.22 | 2023 |
| 3 |  Norway | 2.11 | 2023 |
| 4 |  New Zealand | 2.08 | 2023 |
| 5 |  Singapore | 2.04 | 2023 |
| 6 |  Sweden | 2.03 | 2023 |
| 7 |  Switzerland | 2.02 | 2023 |
| 8 |  Luxembourg | 1.93 | 2023 |
| 9 |  Netherlands | 1.87 | 2023 |
| 10 |  Australia | 1.78 | 2023 |
| 11 |  Liechtenstein | 1.71 | 2023 |
| 12 |  Canada | 1.67 | 2023 |
| 13 |  Germany | 1.66 | 2023 |
| 14 |  Seychelles | 1.63 | 2023 |
| 15 |  Hong Kong SAR, China | 1.63 | 2023 |
| 16 |  Ireland | 1.58 | 2023 |
| 17 |  Uruguay | 1.57 | 2023 |
| 18 |  Iceland | 1.55 | 2023 |
| 19 |  Estonia | 1.54 | 2023 |
| 20 |  Bhutan | 1.53 | 2023 |
| 21 |  United Kingdom | 1.48 | 2023 |
| 22 |  Japan | 1.4 | 2023 |
| 23 |  Barbados | 1.34 | 2023 |
| 24 |  Belgium | 1.34 | 2023 |
| 25 |  Brunei Darussalam | 1.28 | 2023 |
| 26 |  Bahamas, The | 1.27 | 2023 |
| 27 |  Monaco | 1.25 | 2023 |
| 28 |  Guam | 1.25 | 2023 |
| 29 |  Andorra | 1.25 | 2023 |
| 30 |  American Samoa | 1.25 | 2023 |
| 31 |  Bermuda | 1.25 | 2023 |
| 32 |  San Marino | 1.25 | 2023 |
| 33 |  France | 1.18 | 2023 |
| 34 |  Austria | 1.13 | 2023 |
| 35 |  United States | 1.12 | 2023 |
| 36 |  United Arab Emirates | 1.07 | 2023 |
| 37 |  Greenland | 1.03 | 2023 |
| 38 |  Cabo Verde | 0.98 | 2023 |
| 39 |  Chile | 0.97 | 2023 |
| 40 |  Korea, Rep. | 0.89 | 2023 |
| 41 |  Macao SAR, China | 0.85 | 2023 |
| 42 |  Israel | 0.83 | 2023 |
| 43 |  Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 0.78 | 2023 |
| 44 |  Lithuania | 0.78 | 2023 |
| 45 |  Slovenia | 0.78 | 2023 |
| 46 |  Czechia | 0.77 | 2023 |
| 47 |  St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.74 | 2023 |
| 48 |  Samoa | 0.73 | 2023 |
| 49 |  Aruba | 0.71 | 2023 |
| 50 |  Qatar | 0.7 | 2023 |
| 51 |  Latvia | 0.7 | 2023 |
| 52 |  Portugal | 0.7 | 2023 |
| 53 |  Botswana | 0.69 | 2023 |
| 54 |  Rwanda | 0.67 | 2023 |
| 55 |  Costa Rica | 0.65 | 2023 |
| 56 |  Tuvalu | 0.65 | 2023 |
| 57 |  Spain | 0.63 | 2023 |
| 58 |  Georgia | 0.62 | 2023 |
| 59 |  Palau | 0.59 | 2023 |
| 60 |  Nauru | 0.59 | 2023 |
| 61 |  Poland | 0.57 | 2023 |
| 62 |  Grenada | 0.56 | 2023 |
| 63 |  Italy | 0.55 | 2023 |
| 64 |  Dominica | 0.54 | 2023 |
| 65 |  St. Lucia | 0.54 | 2023 |
| 66 |  Saudi Arabia | 0.54 | 2023 |
| 67 |  Fiji | 0.51 | 2023 |
| 68 |  Mauritius | 0.45 | 2023 |
| 69 |  Cayman Islands | 0.44 | 2023 |
| 70 |  St. Kitts and Nevis | 0.41 | 2023 |
| 71 |  Kiribati | 0.41 | 2023 |
| 72 |  Marshall Islands | 0.41 | 2023 |
| 73 |  Sao Tome and Principe | 0.36 | 2023 |
| 74 |  Cyprus | 0.33 | 2023 |
| 75 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 0.33 | 2023 |
| 76 |  Malaysia | 0.3 | 2023 |
| 77 |  Slovak Republic | 0.29 | 2023 |
| 78 |  Oman | 0.22 | 2023 |
| 79 |  Kuwait | 0.21 | 2023 |
| 80 |  Croatia | 0.18 | 2023 |
| 81 |  Bahrain | 0.18 | 2023 |
| 82 |  Namibia | 0.11 | 2023 |
| 83 |  Malta | 0.11 | 2023 |
| 84 |  Greece | 0.1 | 2023 |
| 85 |  Jordan | 0.09 | 2023 |
| 86 |  Armenia | 0.06 | 2023 |
| 87 |  Senegal | 0.06 | 2023 |
| 88 |  Romania | 0.04 | 2023 |
| 89 |  Puerto Rico (US) | 0.02 | 2023 |
| 90 |  Hungary | -0 | 2023 |
| 91 |  China | -0.01 | 2023 |
| 92 |  Vanuatu | -0.01 | 2023 |
| 93 |  Virgin Islands (U.S.) | -0.02 | 2023 |
| 94 |  Benin | -0.05 | 2023 |
| 95 |  Cuba | -0.06 | 2023 |
| 96 |  Montenegro | -0.08 | 2023 |
| 97 |  Ghana | -0.1 | 2023 |
| 98 |  Jamaica | -0.11 | 2023 |
| 99 |  Solomon Islands | -0.13 | 2023 |
| 100 |  Bulgaria | -0.14 | 2023 |
| 101 |  Burkina Faso | -0.17 | 2023 |
| 102 |  Kosovo | -0.19 | 2023 |
| 103 |  Belize | -0.23 | 2023 |
| 104 |  Timor-Leste | -0.23 | 2023 |
| 105 |  Kazakhstan | -0.27 | 2023 |
| 106 |  Moldova | -0.28 | 2023 |
| 107 |  Gambia, The | -0.28 | 2023 |
| 108 |  South Africa | -0.28 | 2023 |
| 109 |  Tonga | -0.31 | 2023 |
| 110 |  Colombia | -0.31 | 2023 |
| 111 |  Cote d'Ivoire | -0.31 | 2023 |
| 112 |  Tanzania | -0.32 | 2023 |
| 113 |  Albania | -0.33 | 2023 |
| 114 |  Tunisia | -0.34 | 2023 |
| 115 |  North Macedonia | -0.35 | 2023 |
| 116 |  Argentina | -0.36 | 2023 |
| 117 |  India | -0.37 | 2023 |
| 118 |  Trinidad and Tobago | -0.37 | 2023 |
| 119 |  Guyana | -0.38 | 2023 |
| 120 |  Sri Lanka | -0.38 | 2023 |
| 121 |  Maldives | -0.4 | 2023 |
| 122 |  Suriname | -0.4 | 2023 |
| 123 |  Viet Nam | -0.42 | 2023 |
| 124 |  Serbia | -0.45 | 2023 |
| 125 |  Dominican Republic | -0.45 | 2023 |
| 126 |  Ethiopia | -0.47 | 2023 |
| 127 |  Zambia | -0.48 | 2023 |
| 128 |  Indonesia | -0.49 | 2023 |
| 129 |  Thailand | -0.49 | 2023 |
| 130 |  Mongolia | -0.49 | 2023 |
| 131 |  Turkiye | -0.5 | 2023 |
| 132 |  Brazil | -0.5 | 2023 |
| 133 |  Nepal | -0.51 | 2023 |
| 134 |  Lesotho | -0.51 | 2023 |
| 135 |  Morocco | -0.54 | 2023 |
| 136 |  Philippines | -0.54 | 2023 |
| 137 |  El Salvador | -0.56 | 2023 |
| 138 |  Niger | -0.56 | 2023 |
| 139 |  Sierra Leone | -0.57 | 2023 |
| 140 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | -0.58 | 2023 |
| 141 |  Algeria | -0.59 | 2023 |
| 142 |  Malawi | -0.6 | 2023 |
| 143 |  Angola | -0.61 | 2023 |
| 144 |  Togo | -0.62 | 2023 |
| 145 |  Panama | -0.63 | 2023 |
| 146 |  Ecuador | -0.65 | 2023 |
| 147 |  Papua New Guinea | -0.66 | 2023 |
| 148 |  Belarus | -0.67 | 2023 |
| 149 |  West Bank and Gaza | -0.68 | 2023 |
| 150 |  Ukraine | -0.69 | 2023 |
| 151 |  Peru | -0.72 | 2023 |
| 152 |  Eswatini | -0.73 | 2023 |
| 153 |  Egypt, Arab Rep. | -0.75 | 2023 |
| 154 |  Kenya | -0.77 | 2023 |
| 155 |  Djibouti | -0.78 | 2023 |
| 156 |  Uzbekistan | -0.81 | 2023 |
| 157 |  Mauritania | -0.82 | 2023 |
| 158 |  Mozambique | -0.83 | 2023 |
| 159 |  Bolivia | -0.84 | 2023 |
| 160 |  Mali | -0.86 | 2023 |
| 161 |  Liberia | -0.89 | 2023 |
| 162 |  Guinea | -0.9 | 2023 |
| 163 |  Lao PDR | -0.97 | 2023 |
| 164 |  Comoros | -0.99 | 2023 |
| 165 |  Pakistan | -1 | 2023 |
| 166 |  Madagascar | -1 | 2023 |
| 167 |  Gabon | -1.02 | 2023 |
| 168 |  Mexico | -1.02 | 2023 |
| 169 |  Nigeria | -1.04 | 2023 |
| 170 |  Uganda | -1.04 | 2023 |
| 171 |  Paraguay | -1.06 | 2023 |
| 172 |  Russian Federation | -1.1 | 2023 |
| 173 |  Honduras | -1.11 | 2023 |
| 174 |  Bangladesh | -1.12 | 2023 |
| 175 |  Guatemala | -1.12 | 2023 |
| 176 |  Afghanistan | -1.15 | 2023 |
| 177 |  Cameroon | -1.16 | 2023 |
| 178 |  Guinea-Bissau | -1.18 | 2023 |
| 179 |  Azerbaijan | -1.2 | 2023 |
| 180 |  Myanmar | -1.22 | 2023 |
| 181 |  Kyrgyz Republic | -1.22 | 2023 |
| 182 |  Lebanon | -1.23 | 2023 |
| 183 |  Iran, Islamic Rep. | -1.23 | 2023 |
| 184 |  Zimbabwe | -1.26 | 2023 |
| 185 |  Cambodia | -1.3 | 2023 |
| 186 |  Central African Republic | -1.31 | 2023 |
| 187 |  Iraq | -1.32 | 2023 |
| 188 |  Congo, Rep. | -1.35 | 2023 |
| 189 |  Tajikistan | -1.38 | 2023 |
| 190 |  Nicaragua | -1.39 | 2023 |
| 191 |  Turkmenistan | -1.42 | 2023 |
| 192 |  Haiti | -1.44 | 2023 |
| 193 |  Eritrea | -1.48 | 2023 |
| 194 |  Congo, Dem. Rep. | -1.48 | 2023 |
| 195 |  Chad | -1.48 | 2023 |
| 196 |  Sudan | -1.5 | 2023 |
| 197 |  Libya | -1.53 | 2023 |
| 198 |  Burundi | -1.56 | 2023 |
| 199 |  Equatorial Guinea | -1.57 | 2023 |
| 200 |  Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | -1.58 | 2023 |
| 201 |  Yemen, Rep. | -1.65 | 2023 |
| 202 |  Venezuela, RB | -1.69 | 2023 |
| 203 |  Somalia, Fed. Rep. | -1.73 | 2023 |
| 204 |  Syrian Arab Republic | -1.75 | 2023 |
| 205 |  South Sudan | -1.97 | 2023 |
Use this data programmatically
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Understanding Control of Corruption by Country
Control of Corruption is one of six Worldwide Governance Indicators from the World Bank. It measures perceptions of public power exercised for private gain. Scores range from -2.5 (highly corrupt) to +2.5 (very clean).
Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland consistently score above +2.0, sharing independent judiciaries, free press, and transparent procurement. Somalia, South Sudan, and North Korea score below -1.5.
The IMF estimates corruption costs 2% of GDP growth annually. Effective reforms focus on transparency (open budgets), accountability (independent anti-corruption agencies), and economic liberalization (reducing permits that create bribery opportunities).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has the highest control of corruption in 2023?
Denmark has the highest control of corruption at 2.38 as of 2023, according to World Bank data.
Which country has the lowest control of corruption in 2023?
South Sudan has the lowest control of corruption at -1.97 as of 2023.
How many countries are ranked by control of corruption?
205 countries have reported data for control of corruption. The data is sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
What is the median control of corruption across all countries?
The median control of corruption is -0.23 (Belize, ranked #103 out of 205 countries).