Dirty Dozen: The Most Corrupt Nations in the World

Although this is a list of nations where the perception of corruption might be greater than it actually is, the errors, if any, are  in numerical order, not in the nature of the nation.

Uzbekistan brings up the rear as it weighs in as the 12th most corrupt nation in the world. It’s human rights record is poor as it is an authoritarian state with limited civil rights.

Torture, arbitrary arrests and restrictions of freedoms of religion, speech and press are standard.

The 2005 civil unrest resulted in several hundred people being killed. Child labour is common.

Although its Constitution provides for democracy, this has never materialised. The President’s term was extended from 5 to 7 years by referendum, although most international observers refused to participate in the process and did not recognise the results, this has not effected life in Uzbekistan.

Independent candidates are unable to participate in elections. There is no free press.

Revenue earned from key exports are distributed among a small ruling elite.

Uzbekistan had inflation of 1000% in the 90s, today it has dropped to 7.6% Things have ‘improved’ as in 2006 it was number 4 in this list, today, it has slipped to number 12.

Zimbabwe is no surprise save that ten other countries are considered more corrupt. Economic mismanagement has led to hyperinflation and impoverishment of the population

Since 1999 the country has careened downhill. This is due to land redistribution policies where 4000 white farmers were evicted. Whites who remain in Zimbabwe must either leave the country or face imprisonment.

The land these farmers had cultivated was redistributed in small plots. Once productive land is now barren.

In 2005 various slums were cleared making hundreds of thousands of people homeless. No new housing built.

The current food crisis coupled with the HIV/AIDs epidemic has bought the life expectancy from 60 to 37 for males, and 34 for females. Infant mortality has climbed.

Inflation stands at approximately 231,000,000% as of July 2008. Prices double every 1.3 days. On February 2, 2009 the RBZ announced that a further 12 zeros were to be taken off the currency, with 1,000,000,000,000 Zimbabwe dollars exchanged for 1 new dollar.

To give you an example of corruption, in November of 2008 Zimbabwe spent $7.3 million donated by the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Whatever the money was spent on it was not for the intended purposes.