Is There A Country Without Corruption? We Find Out


Around the world people are waking up to the fact that corruption is a major factor holding back their country’s progress. Corruption is defined as fraud or theft by those in positions of power. It can cover everything from bribery to nepotism. As people globally look to fight corruption, many look to nations that have very low levels of it. This begs the question though… has any country been so successful that it has entirely rid itself of corruption? Is there a country that has no corruption at all?

There isn’t a country in the world without corruption. Although there are some nations that have very low levels of corruption, still there are some people who take advantage of their positions of power to enrich themselves. It is impossible for any country to entirely rid itself of all corruption.

…but that’s just an overview, in order to fully understand if there is a country without corruption, we need to look a bit deeper.

Why There Isn’t A Country Without Corruption?

Right, so it’s clear that there is no country in the world without corruption. But if many countries have in-place strong anti-corruption measures, why has no nation been able to entirely rid itself of fraud by those in positions of power? Actually, there are four main reasons:

  • There will always be some people who are corrupt
  • No system can prevent all corruption
  • There will always be incentives to be corrupt
  • No country can catch all corrupt people

Let’s briefly go over each of these…

There Will Always Be Some People Who Are Corrupt

A first reason why there isn’t a country without corruption is because there will always be corrupt people. Sadly, a small section of a society is always going to be motivated to abuse their positions of power to benefit themselves. Often this is because some individuals are facing financial difficulties and so utilize their position to assist themselves and their family. However there are also people who wish to become wealthy, or at least enrich themselves, and use their privileged positions to do so. People in both these situations will always find ways to be corrupt, and so no country can entirely rid itself of it.

No System Can Prevent All Corruption

A second reason why no country has been able to end corruption is because no financial system can entirely prevent mis-use of funds. Although in many countries there are robust financial processes aimed at preventing corruption, there are always ways for highly motivated people to work round these. Its impossible to design a financial system where corruption could be 100% removed, and as a result no country has been able to completely end corruption.

There Will Always Be Incentives To Be Corrupt

Another reason why there is not a country without corruption is because some people will always be incentivized to be corrupt. People in positions of power, especially those with access to financial or material resources, are also faced with the temptation to enrich themselves. There are a huge range of incentives for why people are corrupt, and these are impossible to remove. As there will always be people who succumb to their desire to enrich themselves through their powerful position, no country has yet been able to end corruption.

No Country Can Catch All Corrupt People

A final reason why there is not a country with no corruption is because it’s not possible to catch all corrupt people. Corruption is against the law in every country. In many countries, the police strictly enforce anti-corruption laws. However, like with any crime, its impossible for the police, or other enforcement agencies, to catch absolutely everyone. This means that there are always going to be corrupt people who get away with their crimes.

Could There Be A Country With No Corruption?

Ok, so there is no country in the world that it entirely corruption free, but what about looking forward? As countries design better mechanisms to prevent fraud by those in power, could we one day see a country without any corruption at all? Almost certainly not, and there are four reasons why:

  • Cannot remove all corrupt people from power
  • Poverty will always drive corruption
  • No system can prevent all corruption
  • Some countries can become more corrupt

Now, let’s take a quick look at each of these in-turn…

Cannot Remove All Corrupt People From Power

A first reason why there won’t be a country without corruption is because no nation will be able to remove all corrupt people from positions of power. As we’ve said, there are always going to be those that abuse their privileged positions to enrich themselves. Finding, getting evidence, prosecuting and convicting all of these people is impossible, even in countries with very strong anti-corruption enforcement. As a result, nations may be able to reduce their level of corruption to very low levels, but no country will be able to end it entirely.

Poverty Will Always Drive Corruption

A second reason why there wont be a country that is totally corruption free is because there will always be drivers for corruption. Poverty, or financial hardship, are key motivators for people to use their positions to get financial or material benefits. Many countries around the world have high rates of poverty, and so far it has been impossible to entirely end destitution. As a result, there will always be people who feel the need to use corruption to support themselves and their families.

No System Can Prevent All Corruption

A third reason why there will never be a country that is completely rid of corruption is because there is no system that can prevent all fraud. Many organizations implement strict procedures aimed at stopping fraud and corruption. However, there is no way these systems can be completely effective, and therefore there will also be people in positions of power who manage to commit fraud.

Some Countries Can Become More Corrupt

A final reason why there will also be corruption within every nation is that, although many nations make progress towards ending corruption, actually some nations can become more corrupt. Fighting fraud by those in power is an ongoing challenge. If efforts are not maintained, then corruption will rise. Looking forward, all countries will go through periods where there is more corruption, and many will go through periods where there is less. However, no county will have a period where there is absolutely zero corruption.

Has There Been A Nation That Had No Corruption?

There has never been a country without corruption. Throughout human history all nations have had some people who have abused their positions of power to enrich themselves. There has not been a country that has successfully rid itself entirely of corruption.

As we’ve said, there are always going to be some people who use corruption as a way to increase their wealth. In fact, in the past, there was likely more people who did this, mainly because modern mechanisms and procedures designed to limit fraud were not in place. People in positions of power throughout history were also often less accountable, and therefore harder to deter, and punish, for acting corruptly.

Will There Ever Be A Country Without Corruption?

There will never be a country that doesn’t have corruption. Although many nations may have very low levels of corruption, and further progress may be made in highly corrupt nations, the underlying causes of fraud will remain prevalent in every nation in the world. This means there cannot be a nation that is entirely corruption free.

It is likely that over the coming decades more nations will make progress towards reducing corruption. People the world over are recognizing that corruption is a major factor holding back their nation’s development. Governments and businesses, especially in the developing world, are also beginning to realize that corruption is a major drain on their revenue, and are starting to take actions to combat it.

…however, as we’ve covered, no country is able to put mechanisms in-place that can entirely remove the incentive, as well as the ability, for at least some people do be corrupt. As a result, every country is going to always have some-level of corruption, even if this is very low.

Global Affairs Explained

Global Affairs Explained is an ongoing project aiming to provide concise guides to world events. Focusing on international relations, history, and geo-politics, Global Affairs Explained uses original research and data to answer questions often not covered by traditional media.

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