Corruption: Russia Now on a Par with Tajikistan

Maybe it’s not surprising that Russia has fallen in Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index. But one thing that should have Moscow ashamed is how the country – despite the size of its economy and its relative liberalism (we’re talking post-Soviet comparisons here) – it has sunk to the level of a small, destitute, despotic former satellite where you can’t drink the water. 

Bloomberg headline: “Russia Most Corrupt G-20 Nation in Index, Slides to 154th With Tajikistan.”

Dow Jones: “It was tied with Haiti, Kenya and Tajikistan, and was ranked as the most corrupt country in Europe.”

Washington Post: “Russia tied with Tajikistan, Papua New Guinea and several African countries.”

To be fair, Russia and Tajikistan tied with eight others. 

Elsewhere in Central Asia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan win the dubious distinction of tying for 172 (out of 178). Kyrgyzstan stood at 164, and Kazakhstan, the ignominious chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, beat the rest at 105 to tie with Moldova.