Corruption in Myanmar

Corruption in Myanmar is an extremely serious problem. Owing to failures in regulation and enforcement, corruption flourishes in every sector of government and business. Many foreign businesspeople consider corruption "a serious barrier to investment and trade in Myanmar." A U.N. survey in May 2014 concluded that corruption is the greatest hindrance for business in Myanmar.

Transparency International's 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index, which scored 180 countries on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"), gave Myanmar a score of 23. When ranked by score, Myanmar ranked 157th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the worst score was 12 (ranked 180), and the average score was 43. For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Asia Pacific countries was 87, the lowest score was 17 and the average score was 45; only North Korea scored lower than Myanmar in the region.

In the Myanmar Business Survey 2014, corruption was the most frequently identified obstacle to business, especially with respect to obtaining firm registration, business licenses and permits from government authorities.

It is common in Myanmar to charge illicit payments for government services, to bribe tax collectors to secure a lower tax payment, and to bribe customs officials to avoid paying customs duties.