These Caribbean Countries Are Perceived As Most Corrupt

Corruption in the Caribbean continues to be a major issue for this region. Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index, (CPI), on corruption globally, the leading measurement for public sector corruption worldwide, show the countries in the Caribbean perceived as most corrupt.

The Index is the most widely used global corruption ranking in the world. It measures how corrupt each country’s public sector is perceived to be, according to experts and businesspeople. The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

A country’s score is the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0-100, where 0 means highly corrupt and 100 means very clean. A country’s rank is its position relative to the other countries in the index. Ranks can change merely if the number of countries included in the index changes. The rank is therefore not as important as the score in terms of indicating the level of corruption in that country.

The Six Countries Perceived As Most Corrupt In The Caribbean

1: Haiti

Haiti was again deemed the most corrupt nation in the Caribbean, scoring just 17 out of 100 points and ranking at 171 globally on the CP Index that ranks 180 countries globally. Haiti dropped three places down the index from 2021.

2: Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic was listed as the second most corrupt nation, scoring 32 points out of 100 and ranking 123 out of 180. But the country gained four points from 2021, meaning it show some improvements since last year. Transparency International said this was because the DR strengthened the independence of its justice and oversight bodies, enhancing transparency in public procurement, and enacting an asset forfeiture law ─ a key legal instrument to combat corruption and organized crime. However, the slow pace of the judicial processes has hampered progress with convictions for corruption, TI said. “There is concern in Dominican society that the courts are not living up to the strong national demand to advance in the fight against corruption and crime,” the report added.

3: Guyana

Guyana ranks as the third most corrupt in the Caribbean region, scoring 40 out of 100 and ranking 85 out of 180. However, the country gained a point since last year, proving it showing some improvements since last year. Still TI said that while the country has significantly risen in the CPI over the last 12 years, it has recently stagnated even though “the oil-rich nation must still place stronger emphasis on building a well-functioning democratic system and implement greater levels of transparency and oversight, especially in the extractive industry.”

But the report noted that “corruption in this sector implies the loss of billions of dollars, which could be used to improve public services and development in one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere.”

4: Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad & Tobago is the fourth most corrupt according to the latest Index, ranking at

77 out of 180 nations globally with a 42 out of 100 score. However, the country is showing some improvements since last year, moving up one point. Transparency International said 61 percent of people in Trinidad and Tobago consider the police corrupt.

5: Jamaica Jamaica scored 44 out of 100 to take the fifth spot as it showed no improvements from 2021 to remain at 69. According to Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer for 2019, 50 per cent of people consider the police corrupt in Jamaica, and there is lack of trust in the national police.

6: Cuba

Cuba took the sixth spot with a rank of 65 globally and a score of 45, dropping by one from 2021.

- NewsAmericasNow.com