South Sudan is perceived to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world, according to a Transparency International report.

Transparency International releases a report it calls – Corruption Perceptions Index – every year.

The report which was released yesterday ranks South Sudan fifth corrupt country out 175 countries that were listed.

“Based on expert opinion from around the world, the Corruption Perceptions Index measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide, and it paints an alarming picture,” said the report.

“Not one single country gets a perfect score and more than two-thirds score below 50, on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).”

South Sudan is perceived as slightly less corrupt than Iraq, slightly more corrupt than Afghanistan, and ranks two places above neighboring Sudan.

“Poorly equipped schools, counterfeit medicine and elections decided by money are just some of the consequences of public sector corruption,” it read.

“Bribes and backroom deals don’t just steal resources from the most vulnerable – they undermine justice and economic development, and destroy public trust in government and leaders.”

Transparency International spoke with businessmen and country experts in all 175 countries to determine where they ranked in terms of perceptions.