Sadly though, the uprising has done little to change the number of corrupt countries around the world.
The Corruption Perception Index has recently concluded their investigations and released its findings. The Index ranks each country in the world on a scale of 1 to 10, and the lower the number, the more corrupt to the nation state.
The following shows the 10 most corrupt countries and what allows them the dark distinction.
#10 Venezuela's corruption began with the discovery of oil
Corruption Index Score: 1.9 (10 = Clean, 0 = Completely Corrupt)
The discovery of mass amounts of oil in Venezuela hastened its slide into corruption and by the 1970s the petroleum sucked from the ground was called "the Devil's excrement" by Venezuelans.
Hugo Chavez's election to president in 1999 did nothing to slow the corruption. His Fifth Republic Movement is accused of cronyism, political patronage, and corruption just like the movement his party promised to replace.
Even the Venezuelan police force is recognised for its drastic levels of corruption.#9 Haiti is plagued by impenetrable bureaucracy
Corruption Index Score: 1.8 (10 = Clean, 0 = Completely Corrupt)The immobilising amount of "red tape" in the Haitian legal system enables local politicians and bureaucrats to gain influence and direct public outcomes for financial gain.
The result has debilitated Haitian society and placed the country consistently at the top of the corruption list.
The A$2 billion that came into the country following the 2010 earthquake did little to alleviate corruption and meandering bureaucracy.
#8 Iraq goes out of its way to silence whistleblowers
Corruption Index Score: 1.8 (10 = Clean, 0 = Completely Corrupt)
The Iraq government is so entrenched in its rampant pattern of corruption since the fall of Saddam Hussein that it removes officials who try to prosecute racketeers.
Members of the government also intimidate politicians and journalists who support whistleblowers.
As recently as September 2011 a renowned Iraqi journalist was murdered in his home for leading anti-government protests.
#7 Money for Sudan's development ends in private hands and in foreign banks
Corruption Index Score: 1.6 (10 = Clean, 0 = Completely Corrupt)Sudan's new president Salva Kir is being pushed to stop the mass pilfering of development money that comes into the Sudan which is meant to help rebuild the war ravaged country.
Since gaining self-rule in 2005, not one official has been prosecuted for corruption, despite there being a commission assigned specifically to the task.
#6 The 69 years Turkmenistan spent in the Soviet Union has led to totalitarian control
Corruption Index Score: 1.6 (10 = Clean, 0 = Completely Corrupt)Though Turkmenistan declared its independence in 1991, the country just made moves to open up the country in 2006.
The country also labors under immense human rights abuses and residents face severe restrictions anytime they try leaving the country.Turkmenistan has the 3rd worse freedom of the press, and is the 10th most censored country in the world.
#5 Uzbekistan's top officials reap all the benefits from rich resources
Corruption Index Score: 1.6 (10 = Clean, 0 = Completely Corrupt)
The government is rich in resources, but doesn't allow for independent private sector growth, keeping control of everything.
A WikiLeak letter condemns former Prince Michael for "rampant corruption" and "organised crime." The authoritarian government is often cited as the root of the corruption problems.
Part of its anti-corruption drive shut down 100 supermarkets and manufacturing businesses. But according a local businessman, there's been "no progress in the battle against corruption. The country and its society are corrupted through and through."
#4 Afghanistan's citizens consider government kickbacks normal
Corruption Index Score: 1.9 (10 = Clean, 0 = Completely Corrupt)
In 2010, people from Afghanistan paid $2.5 billion in bribes, and nearly half the population has paid the government kickbacks.
Kickbacks are so common that 38 percent of citizens think it's normal. Even meeting with a politician implies giving a kickback 40 percent of the time.
#3 Burma's corruption stems from its logs, gold, and drugs
Corruption Index Score: 1.5 (10 = Clean, 0 = Completely Corrupt)Its rich natural resources and drug rings have led widespread corruption in all of Southeast Asia. It is often seen as the root of problems in the Golden Triangle.
The country is full of internal ethnic violence and has been isolated from most of the developed world because of human rights issues. But it still engages in illegal resource deals with nearby nations like China.
#2 North Korea's officials drink imported Coke while its citizens die from starvation
Corruption Index Score: 1 (10 = Clean, 0 = Completely Corrupt)North Korea has little transparency, and just getting into the country usually requires large bribes. Most of the testimonies come from refugees from the country, most of whom paid bribes to escape.
A Chinese national who snuck in and out of the country told RFA, "In some places in North Korea people are starving to death, but railway security agents wear Seiko watches and smoke cigarettes."
#1 Somalia has been a proxy battleground for nations for years
Corruption Index Score: 1 (10 = Clean, 0 = Completely Corrupt)Foreign countries such as America and the USSR, who used the country as a battleground for political ideologies, have helped drive corruption by backing particular clans or groups.
U.S. funding really helped the Siad Barre regime, which took government corruption to the next level. After the regime fled in 1991, the country is essentially lawless and ruled by clans, warlords, and militia groups.
Source: yahoo