U.S. Spends Billions in World’s Most Corrupt Country
Policy + Politics

U.S. Spends Billions in World’s Most Corrupt Country

iStockphoto

For the second straight year, North Korea, Somalia and Afghanistan topped Transparency International’s annual list of the most corrupt countries in the world.

Corruption in North Korea and Somalia is not surprising: North Korea is run as a dictatorship by Kim Jong Ung, while Somalia is in chaos as security forces attempt to snuff out the al Shabaab terrorist insurrection. But vast corruption in Afghanistan is especially disappointing given the amount of money the United States has invested in improving governance there.

RELATED:  BILLIONS SPENT IN AFGHANISTAN WITH NO GAME PLAN 

All three tied with a score of eight out of a possible 100, with zero being the most corrupt and 100 being the least.

The least corrupt countries in the world are Denmark, New Zealand and Finland. The United States is ranked 19th on the index.

Transparency International Corruption Perception Index measures worldwide corruption annually. They measure the public perception of government corruption in 177 countries.

In a statement accompanying the release, Transparency International chief Huguette Labell called for increased action to stop fraud.

"It is time to stop those who get away with acts of corruption. The legal loopholes and lack of political will in government facilitate both domestic and cross-border corruption, and call for our intensified efforts to combat the impunity of the corrupt," Labell said.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:

TOP READS FROM THE FISCAL TIMES