Control of Corruption by Country

What Is Control of Corruption?

Control of Corruption measures the extent to which public power is exercised for private gain, including petty and grand forms of corruption and state capture. It is part of the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators, with scores typically ranging from -2.5 (weak control) to 2.5 (strong control). Higher scores indicate more effective corruption prevention and enforcement.

Why Control of Corruption Matters to a Country’s Progress

  • Reflects governance integrity, since strong control reduces bribery and rent-seeking in public institutions.
  • Encourages investment, as businesses seek stable environments where officials do not exploit their authority.
  • Builds public trust, because effective anti-corruption measures strengthen confidence in government services and rule of law.

How to Read the Rankings

  • A higher score indicates stronger control of corruption, while a lower score signals pervasive corruption risks.
  • “Most Recent Year” shows the latest annual score; “Change” shows the difference from the prior year’s value.
  • Year-to-year shifts can result from policy reforms, major scandals, or improved data collection rather than long-term trends.

Implications for Policy & Society

  • Low scores often prompt governments to strengthen audit institutions, implement transparency initiatives, and enforce anti-corruption laws.
  • High scores can attract foreign investment and support economic growth, as investors view corruption control as a sign of stability.
  • Persistent low rankings highlight the need for judicial reforms, independent oversight bodies, and civic education to reduce graft.
  • Monitoring annual changes helps assess the effectiveness of anti-corruption campaigns and guides resource allocation to governance programs.

Ranking Highlights

  • Micronesia tops the progress rankings in Control of Corruption, recording an increase from 0.48 to 0.78. Comoros follows with a gain from -1.24 to -0.99, while Costa Rica rounds out the top three, rising from 0.47 to 0.65.
  • Across all 193 countries, the average year-over-year change was +0.00 pts with a median change of +0.01 pts.
  • Overall, 100 countries improved in this area while 77 worsened. Click on a country to open the full country scorecard and see how it performs across a range of key indicators.
Rank Country Most Recent Year Previous Year Change
1Micronesia flag Micronesia0.78 (2023)0.48 (2022)+0.30 pts
2Comoros flag Comoros-0.99 (2023)-1.24 (2022)+0.25 pts
3Costa Rica flag Costa Rica0.65 (2023)0.47 (2022)+0.18 pts
4Saudi Arabia flag Saudi Arabia0.54 (2023)0.36 (2022)+0.18 pts
5Samoa flag Samoa0.73 (2023)0.55 (2022)+0.18 pts
6Kiribati flag Kiribati0.41 (2023)0.24 (2022)+0.17 pts
7Oman flag Oman0.22 (2023)0.05 (2022)+0.17 pts
8South Korea flag South Korea0.89 (2023)0.75 (2022)+0.14 pts
9Fiji flag Fiji0.51 (2023)0.39 (2022)+0.12 pts
10Czech Republic flag Czech Republic0.77 (2023)0.66 (2022)+0.11 pts
11Rwanda flag Rwanda0.67 (2023)0.56 (2022)+0.11 pts
12Tonga flag Tonga-0.31 (2023)-0.42 (2022)+0.11 pts
13Bosnia and Herzegovina flag Bosnia and Herzegovina-0.58 (2023)-0.68 (2022)+0.10 pts
14Brunei flag Brunei1.28 (2023)1.18 (2022)+0.10 pts
15Hungary flag Hungary0.00 (2023)-0.10 (2022)+0.10 pts
16Peru flag Peru-0.72 (2023)-0.81 (2022)+0.09 pts
17Argentina flag Argentina-0.36 (2023)-0.45 (2022)+0.09 pts
18Guatemala flag Guatemala-1.12 (2023)-1.21 (2022)+0.09 pts
19Nigeria flag Nigeria-1.04 (2023)-1.13 (2022)+0.09 pts
20Grenada flag Grenada0.56 (2023)0.48 (2022)+0.08 pts
21Kuwait flag Kuwait0.21 (2023)0.13 (2022)+0.08 pts
22Slovakia flag Slovakia0.29 (2023)0.21 (2022)+0.08 pts
23Albania flag Albania-0.33 (2023)-0.41 (2022)+0.08 pts
24El Salvador flag El Salvador-0.56 (2023)-0.64 (2022)+0.08 pts
25Mongolia flag Mongolia-0.49 (2023)-0.56 (2022)+0.07 pts
26Senegal flag Senegal0.06 (2023)-0.01 (2022)+0.07 pts
27Brazil flag Brazil-0.50 (2023)-0.57 (2022)+0.07 pts
28Guinea flag Guinea-0.90 (2023)-0.97 (2022)+0.07 pts
29Barbados flag Barbados1.34 (2023)1.28 (2022)+0.06 pts
30Democratic Republic of the Congo flag Democratic Republic of the Congo-1.48 (2023)-1.54 (2022)+0.06 pts
31Somalia flag Somalia-1.73 (2023)-1.79 (2022)+0.06 pts
32Greece flag Greece0.10 (2023)0.04 (2022)+0.06 pts
33Moldova flag Moldova-0.28 (2023)-0.34 (2022)+0.06 pts
34Poland flag Poland0.57 (2023)0.51 (2022)+0.06 pts
35Bolivia flag Bolivia-0.84 (2023)-0.89 (2022)+0.05 pts
36Algeria flag Algeria-0.59 (2023)-0.64 (2022)+0.05 pts
37Luxembourg flag Luxembourg1.93 (2023)1.88 (2022)+0.05 pts
38Tajikistan flag Tajikistan-1.38 (2023)-1.43 (2022)+0.05 pts
39Colombia flag Colombia-0.31 (2023)-0.36 (2022)+0.05 pts
40Malaysia flag Malaysia0.30 (2023)0.25 (2022)+0.05 pts
41Solomon Islands flag Solomon Islands-0.13 (2023)-0.18 (2022)+0.05 pts
42Sao Tome and Principe flag Sao Tome and Principe0.36 (2023)0.31 (2022)+0.05 pts
43South Africa flag South Africa-0.28 (2023)-0.33 (2022)+0.05 pts
44Israel flag Israel0.83 (2023)0.78 (2022)+0.05 pts
45Liberia flag Liberia-0.89 (2023)-0.93 (2022)+0.04 pts
46Norway flag Norway2.11 (2023)2.07 (2022)+0.04 pts
47Timor-Leste flag Timor-Leste-0.23 (2023)-0.27 (2022)+0.04 pts
48Benin flag Benin-0.05 (2023)-0.09 (2022)+0.04 pts
49Montenegro flag Montenegro-0.08 (2023)-0.12 (2022)+0.04 pts
50Bahrain flag Bahrain0.18 (2023)0.14 (2022)+0.04 pts
51Papua New Guinea flag Papua New Guinea-0.66 (2023)-0.70 (2022)+0.04 pts
52Afghanistan flag Afghanistan-1.15 (2023)-1.18 (2022)+0.03 pts
53Côte d'Ivoire flag Côte d'Ivoire-0.31 (2023)-0.34 (2022)+0.03 pts
54Equatorial Guinea flag Equatorial Guinea-1.57 (2023)-1.60 (2022)+0.03 pts
55Lithuania flag Lithuania0.78 (2023)0.75 (2022)+0.03 pts
56Mauritius flag Mauritius0.45 (2023)0.42 (2022)+0.03 pts
57North Korea flag North Korea-1.58 (2023)-1.61 (2022)+0.03 pts
58Paraguay flag Paraguay-1.06 (2023)-1.09 (2022)+0.03 pts
59Syria flag Syria-1.75 (2023)-1.78 (2022)+0.03 pts
60Yemen flag Yemen-1.65 (2023)-1.68 (2022)+0.03 pts
61Armenia flag Armenia0.06 (2023)0.03 (2022)+0.03 pts
62Croatia flag Croatia0.18 (2023)0.15 (2022)+0.03 pts
63Tanzania flag Tanzania-0.32 (2023)-0.35 (2022)+0.03 pts
64Botswana flag Botswana0.69 (2023)0.66 (2022)+0.03 pts
65Antigua and Barbuda flag Antigua and Barbuda0.33 (2023)0.31 (2022)+0.02 pts
66Australia flag Australia1.78 (2023)1.76 (2022)+0.02 pts
67Bhutan flag Bhutan1.53 (2023)1.51 (2022)+0.02 pts
68Cabo Verde flag Cabo Verde0.98 (2023)0.96 (2022)+0.02 pts
69Gabon flag Gabon-1.02 (2023)-1.04 (2022)+0.02 pts
70Haiti flag Haiti-1.44 (2023)-1.46 (2022)+0.02 pts
71Italy flag Italy0.55 (2023)0.53 (2022)+0.02 pts
72Nepal flag Nepal-0.51 (2023)-0.53 (2022)+0.02 pts
73Togo flag Togo-0.62 (2023)-0.64 (2022)+0.02 pts
74Turkmenistan flag Turkmenistan-1.42 (2023)-1.44 (2022)+0.02 pts
75Uganda flag Uganda-1.04 (2023)-1.06 (2022)+0.02 pts
76United States flag United States1.12 (2023)1.10 (2022)+0.02 pts
77Zambia flag Zambia-0.48 (2023)-0.50 (2022)+0.02 pts
78Romania flag Romania0.04 (2023)0.02 (2022)+0.02 pts
79Vanuatu flag Vanuatu-0.01 (2023)-0.03 (2022)+0.02 pts
80Bulgaria flag Bulgaria-0.14 (2023)-0.16 (2022)+0.02 pts
81Jordan flag Jordan0.09 (2023)0.07 (2022)+0.02 pts
82Saint Kitts and Nevis flag Saint Kitts and Nevis0.41 (2023)0.39 (2022)+0.02 pts
83Marshall Islands flag Marshall Islands0.41 (2023)0.39 (2022)+0.02 pts
84Niger flag Niger-0.56 (2023)-0.58 (2022)+0.02 pts
85Switzerland flag Switzerland2.02 (2023)2.01 (2022)+0.01 pts
86Bahamas flag Bahamas1.27 (2023)1.26 (2022)+0.01 pts
87Canada flag Canada1.67 (2023)1.66 (2022)+0.01 pts
88Congo flag Congo-1.35 (2023)-1.36 (2022)+0.01 pts
89Cuba flag Cuba-0.06 (2023)-0.07 (2022)+0.01 pts
90Djibouti flag Djibouti-0.78 (2023)-0.79 (2022)+0.01 pts
91Guinea-Bissau flag Guinea-Bissau-1.18 (2023)-1.19 (2022)+0.01 pts
92Kyrgyzstan flag Kyrgyzstan-1.22 (2023)-1.23 (2022)+0.01 pts
93Latvia flag Latvia0.70 (2023)0.69 (2022)+0.01 pts
94Mozambique flag Mozambique-0.83 (2023)-0.84 (2022)+0.01 pts
95Malawi flag Malawi-0.60 (2023)-0.61 (2022)+0.01 pts
96Serbia flag Serbia-0.45 (2023)-0.46 (2022)+0.01 pts
97Slovenia flag Slovenia0.78 (2023)0.77 (2022)+0.01 pts
98Chad flag Chad-1.48 (2023)-1.49 (2022)+0.01 pts
99Trinidad and Tobago flag Trinidad and Tobago-0.37 (2023)-0.38 (2022)+0.01 pts
100Belize flag Belize-0.23 (2023)-0.24 (2022)+0.01 pts
101Angola flag Angola-0.61 (2023)-0.61 (2022)+0.00 pts
102Chile flag Chile0.97 (2023)0.97 (2022)+0.00 pts
103Dominica flag Dominica0.54 (2023)0.54 (2022)+0.00 pts
104Estonia flag Estonia1.54 (2023)1.54 (2022)+0.00 pts
105Georgia flag Georgia0.62 (2023)0.62 (2022)+0.00 pts
106Gambia flag Gambia-0.28 (2023)-0.28 (2022)+0.00 pts
107Laos flag Laos-0.97 (2023)-0.97 (2022)+0.00 pts
108Libya flag Libya-1.53 (2023)-1.53 (2022)+0.00 pts
109Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein1.71 (2023)1.71 (2022)+0.00 pts
110Sri Lanka flag Sri Lanka-0.38 (2023)-0.38 (2022)+0.00 pts
111Panama flag Panama-0.63 (2023)-0.63 (2022)+0.00 pts
112Philippines flag Philippines-0.54 (2023)-0.54 (2022)+0.00 pts
113Suriname flag Suriname-0.40 (2023)-0.40 (2022)+0.00 pts
114Eswatini flag Eswatini-0.73 (2023)-0.73 (2022)+0.00 pts
115Tuvalu flag Tuvalu0.65 (2023)0.65 (2022)+0.00 pts
116Zimbabwe flag Zimbabwe-1.26 (2023)-1.26 (2022)+0.00 pts
117Sierra Leone flag Sierra Leone-0.57 (2023)-0.56 (2022)-0.01 pts
118Dominican Republic flag Dominican Republic-0.45 (2023)-0.44 (2022)-0.01 pts
119Kenya flag Kenya-0.77 (2023)-0.76 (2022)-0.01 pts
120Mexico flag Mexico-1.02 (2023)-1.01 (2022)-0.01 pts
121Nauru flag Nauru0.59 (2023)0.60 (2022)-0.01 pts
122Palau flag Palau0.59 (2023)0.60 (2022)-0.01 pts
123Andorra flag Andorra1.25 (2023)1.27 (2022)-0.02 pts
124Denmark flag Denmark2.38 (2023)2.40 (2022)-0.02 pts
125Ecuador flag Ecuador-0.65 (2023)-0.63 (2022)-0.02 pts
126Iceland flag Iceland1.55 (2023)1.57 (2022)-0.02 pts
127Monaco flag Monaco1.25 (2023)1.27 (2022)-0.02 pts
128Mali flag Mali-0.86 (2023)-0.84 (2022)-0.02 pts
129San Marino flag San Marino1.25 (2023)1.27 (2022)-0.02 pts
130Saint Vincent and the Grenadines flag Saint Vincent and the Grenadines0.74 (2023)0.76 (2022)-0.02 pts
131Finland flag Finland2.22 (2023)2.25 (2022)-0.03 pts
132Mauritania flag Mauritania-0.82 (2023)-0.79 (2022)-0.03 pts
133North Macedonia flag North Macedonia-0.35 (2023)-0.32 (2022)-0.03 pts
134China flag China-0.01 (2023)0.02 (2022)-0.03 pts
135Cameroon flag Cameroon-1.16 (2023)-1.13 (2022)-0.03 pts
136Madagascar flag Madagascar-1.00 (2023)-0.97 (2022)-0.03 pts
137Portugal flag Portugal0.70 (2023)0.73 (2022)-0.03 pts
138Türkiye flag Türkiye-0.50 (2023)-0.47 (2022)-0.03 pts
139Sweden flag Sweden2.03 (2023)2.06 (2022)-0.03 pts
140Saint Lucia flag Saint Lucia0.54 (2023)0.58 (2022)-0.04 pts
141Ethiopia flag Ethiopia-0.47 (2023)-0.43 (2022)-0.04 pts
142Thailand flag Thailand-0.49 (2023)-0.45 (2022)-0.04 pts
143Ghana flag Ghana-0.10 (2023)-0.06 (2022)-0.04 pts
144Burundi flag Burundi-1.56 (2023)-1.52 (2022)-0.04 pts
145Bangladesh flag Bangladesh-1.12 (2023)-1.08 (2022)-0.04 pts
146Tunisia flag Tunisia-0.34 (2023)-0.30 (2022)-0.04 pts
147Uruguay flag Uruguay1.57 (2023)1.61 (2022)-0.04 pts
148Venezuela flag Venezuela-1.69 (2023)-1.65 (2022)-0.04 pts
149Netherlands flag Netherlands1.87 (2023)1.92 (2022)-0.05 pts
150Singapore flag Singapore2.04 (2023)2.09 (2022)-0.05 pts
151Indonesia flag Indonesia-0.49 (2023)-0.44 (2022)-0.05 pts
152India flag India-0.37 (2023)-0.32 (2022)-0.05 pts
153Uzbekistan flag Uzbekistan-0.81 (2023)-0.76 (2022)-0.05 pts
154Spain flag Spain0.63 (2023)0.69 (2022)-0.06 pts
155Ukraine flag Ukraine-0.69 (2023)-0.63 (2022)-0.06 pts
156Burkina Faso flag Burkina Faso-0.17 (2023)-0.11 (2022)-0.06 pts
157Central African Republic flag Central African Republic-1.31 (2023)-1.25 (2022)-0.06 pts
158Cambodia flag Cambodia-1.30 (2023)-1.24 (2022)-0.06 pts
159Egypt flag Egypt-0.75 (2023)-0.68 (2022)-0.07 pts
160Maldives flag Maldives-0.40 (2023)-0.33 (2022)-0.07 pts
161Myanmar flag Myanmar-1.22 (2023)-1.15 (2022)-0.07 pts
162Seychelles flag Seychelles1.63 (2023)1.70 (2022)-0.07 pts
163Guyana flag Guyana-0.38 (2023)-0.30 (2022)-0.08 pts
164Kazakhstan flag Kazakhstan-0.27 (2023)-0.19 (2022)-0.08 pts
165France flag France1.18 (2023)1.26 (2022)-0.08 pts
166New Zealand flag New Zealand2.08 (2023)2.16 (2022)-0.08 pts
167United Arab Emirates flag United Arab Emirates1.07 (2023)1.16 (2022)-0.09 pts
168Ireland flag Ireland1.58 (2023)1.67 (2022)-0.09 pts
169Cyprus flag Cyprus0.33 (2023)0.42 (2022)-0.09 pts
170Jamaica flag Jamaica-0.11 (2023)-0.02 (2022)-0.09 pts
171Belarus flag Belarus-0.67 (2023)-0.58 (2022)-0.09 pts
172Sudan flag Sudan-1.50 (2023)-1.41 (2022)-0.09 pts
173Nicaragua flag Nicaragua-1.39 (2023)-1.29 (2022)-0.10 pts
174Iran flag Iran-1.23 (2023)-1.13 (2022)-0.10 pts
175Lebanon flag Lebanon-1.23 (2023)-1.13 (2022)-0.10 pts
176Qatar flag Qatar0.70 (2023)0.80 (2022)-0.10 pts
177South Sudan flag South Sudan-1.97 (2023)-1.86 (2022)-0.11 pts
178Namibia flag Namibia0.11 (2023)0.22 (2022)-0.11 pts
179Honduras flag Honduras-1.11 (2023)-1.00 (2022)-0.11 pts
180Iraq flag Iraq-1.32 (2023)-1.21 (2022)-0.11 pts
181Russia flag Russia-1.10 (2023)-0.98 (2022)-0.12 pts
182Malta flag Malta0.11 (2023)0.24 (2022)-0.13 pts
183Vietnam flag Vietnam-0.42 (2023)-0.29 (2022)-0.13 pts
184Austria flag Austria1.13 (2023)1.26 (2022)-0.13 pts
185Lesotho flag Lesotho-0.51 (2023)-0.37 (2022)-0.14 pts
186United Kingdom flag United Kingdom1.48 (2023)1.62 (2022)-0.14 pts
187Japan flag Japan1.40 (2023)1.54 (2022)-0.14 pts
188Belgium flag Belgium1.34 (2023)1.49 (2022)-0.15 pts
189Morocco flag Morocco-0.54 (2023)-0.39 (2022)-0.15 pts
190Azerbaijan flag Azerbaijan-1.20 (2023)-1.04 (2022)-0.16 pts
191Germany flag Germany1.66 (2023)1.82 (2022)-0.16 pts
192Eritrea flag Eritrea-1.48 (2023)-1.28 (2022)-0.20 pts
193Pakistan flag Pakistan-1.00 (2023)-0.80 (2022)-0.20 pts

Source: World Bank. Only countries with complete data (both points within the past 10 years) are shown.