1. Somalia
Somalia may just be the most unstable country on the entire planet. The country has become infamous in the United States for piracy, and the Blackhawk Down incident. Somalia is being loosely held together by a central government. The reality, however, is that it’s being run by a number of competing clans and warlords.
According to The World Bank, only 29% of the country’s population has been enrolled in school, and life expectancy is only 55 years. Both of these numbers rank well below most other countries and provide some insight into the internal strife the country is experiencing.

=1. North Korea
The CIA lists North Korea’s government as a “communist state one-man dictatorship,” with an estimated GDP of $28 billion as of 2009.
The inner workings of the North Korean government and economy are quite mysterious. While it does receive aid from countries like China, North Korea has had problems producing enough fuel and food to properly care for its citizens. Military spending far outweighs spending on social programs and aid, mostly to put on appearances for the rest of the world in their famous outbursts of saber-rattling.

3. Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s nickname is “the graveyard of empires,” and for good reason.
The country has been loosely held together by a central government that largely lacks power, and has been carved up by numerous local tribal leaders and warlords. The country’s now-former president Hamid Karzai was notoriously corrupt — he’s been recently busted for taking bagfuls of money from the American military, among other things. Afghanistan is also home to an enormous amount of the world’s heroin production, which has brought lots of wealth to a lucky few.

4. Sudan
According to the CIA, the country is ruled by the National Congress Party. The NCP came to power after a coup d’etat in 1989, and has not been able to successfully repair the nation’s issues. As a result of the prolonged instability, Sudan’s GDP has tanked since spiking in 2006.

5. South Sudan
A nation still in its infancy, South Sudan does not have the traditional long-standing government structures in place that many others do. This has led to ripe opportunities for corrupt politicians to step in. The country remains mostly undeveloped, and its citizens participate in a largely subsistence-based economic system. One other issue is the lack of a sense of nationhood among the 200 or so distinct ethnic groups occupying the country.


6. Angola
Angola, located along southern Africa’s western coast, has jumped several spots on the Corruption Index in recent years. There are many forms that it takes, from the looting of state assets by government officials to widespread money laundering and embezzlement. Angola is rich with oil reserves, which attract a lot of attention. That makes it a corruption magnet. Also, it’s the worst place in the world to be a child.

7. Libya
Libya is still in a state of turmoil. No formal government has taken root, and fighting between rebels and those loyal to the old administration is still taking place. Due to the high levels of uncertainty, the country’s GDP contracted 9.4% during 2013, according to The World Bank. The power vacuum has left open a great opportunity for arms dealers and corrupt military higher-ups to take charge and profit.

8. Iraq
Iraq’s vast wealth and natural resources have made it a target for all kinds of industry and war profiteers. And, unsurprisingly, corruption. Iraq has actually seen some economic growth as the country rebuilds itself, but there is also a lot of outside interference from American and European contracting companies, hired to rebuild infrastructure and tap into the country’s oil reserves.

9. Venezuela
Venezuela is a mess. Hugo Chavez, elected in 1998, caused a number of issues, and the nationalization of the country’s rich oil reserves created more. Money that was supposed to go to the people was instead being funneled to high-ranking government officials. Since then, things have deteriorated even more. The country’s currency is nearly worthless, and its economy is in serious trouble.

10. Guinea-Bissau
If you’ve never heard of Guinea-Bissau, you’re not alone. The country is located in western Africa, between Guinea and Senegal. Guinea-Bissau is home to 1.7 million people, the vast majority of whom are relatively poor. Corruption is something of a national pastime, too. Since being founded in the early 1970s, no president has ever finished a term in office. The country is also a major hub for trafficking and organized crime.

11. Haiti
The problems in Haiti became quite clear in the wake of the devastating earthquake in 2010. The quake killed more than 300,000 people, and the government’s inability to handle the aftermath became clear. Much of the corruption in the country stems from collusion among the rich and politicians. Corruption is still a serious issue, but things continue to improve.

12. Yemen
Yemen, like many other Middle Eastern countries, is muddled in conflict. It’s adjacent to Oman and Saudia Arabia and borders the Persian Gulf to the west. Given its location, it’s been swept up in many of the issues plaguing the Middle East. It’s undergoing its own civil war, as Syria is, with rival factions vying for control of the government.

13. Turkmenistan
The CIA’s file says the country is a secular democracy and presidential republic. But in practice, its government more closely resembles an authoritarian dictatorship. The country itself was founded as a result of the Soviet Union’s collapse and the resulting power struggle has left the nation highly corrupt and vulnerable to tomfoolery.

14. Syria
There isn’t a country on Earth that is in worse shape than Syria right now. Syria has been in a state of civil war since the Arab Spring, and there’s no end in sight. It’s caused mass migrations to Europe and created issues in the United States as well. Russia and ISIS are involved, too. Needless to say, it’s a mess. President Bashar al-Assad is still holding on to power, and there’s really no indication as to how the country can get back on track.

15. Eritrea
Corruption in Eritrea is getting worse. The country vaulted from No. 25 in 2013 to No. 10 in 2014, for example. Eritrea is located in Africa, bordering the Red Sea directly across from Saudi Arabia, bordering Djibouti to the south and Sudan to the north. Eritrea is a small and relatively poor country, with a GDP of only $3.44 billion, and a population of 6.3 million. Most of its issues stem from the recent influx of foreign investment and its single-party government.

Good News!!.. Hmm..