Despite a slight improvement in global transparency rankings, corruption remains one of the most entrenched challenges facing Syria’s transitional government, threatening reconstruction efforts and public trust in state institutions, according to a new analysis released Thursday.
Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index shows Syria moving from fourth to tenth place among the world’s most corrupt countries. While the shift marks a relative improvement, analysts warn that Syria’s continued presence in the bottom tier reflects deeply rooted networks of patronage and influence that extend far beyond individual misconduct.
Public Perception: Improvement, but Distrust Runs Deep
New survey data from the Damascus-based Center for Contemporary Syrian Studies underscores the scale of the problem. According to the Arab Index survey:
- 89% of Syrians believe corruption remains widespread in state institutions
- 54% say it is less prevalent than under the previous regime
- 64% still describe economic conditions as poor
- 56% express hope for the future
- 42% believe the new authorities do not apply the law equally
The findings reveal a society cautiously optimistic yet wary of institutional fairness. Analyst Rashid Hajj Saleh warns that such perceptions carry political risks: “When trust erodes, the state becomes more fragile and more vulnerable to social and political shocks, regardless of its security tools or political discourse.”
A System Built Over Decades
Experts emphasize that corruption in Syria is not a recent phenomenon. It developed over decades through opaque bureaucratic structures, weak oversight, and the absence of meaningful accountability. These conditions enabled a vast shadow economy and entrenched clientelist networks that shaped access to services, resources, and economic opportunity.
“Over time, corruption was no longer merely an administrative flaw,” Saleh writes. “It transformed into an unspoken mechanism for managing public affairs.”
Independent Monitoring ‘Critical’ for Syria’s Transition, Researcher Warns
The transitional government now faces the dual burden of addressing this legacy while managing political instability, economic collapse, and deteriorating living standards. Analysts caution that these pressures cannot justify delaying anti-corruption reforms.
“Experience shows that corruption does not recede automatically in times of crisis; rather, it expands,” Saleh notes. “In such conditions, corruption becomes a crisis multiplier.”
Reconstruction at Risk
The implications for Syria’s reconstruction are significant. Without reforms to the administrative and legal environment, experts warn that investment will remain high-risk and rebuilding efforts will stall.
Recent satellite-based analyses of night-time light emissions show signs of structural economic recovery in cities under transitional government control. But specialists stress that sustainable recovery depends on addressing the governance deficits that allow corruption to flourish.
A Test of Political Will
The modest improvement in Transparency International’s ranking presents a pivotal test for the transitional government: whether to use it as a springboard for genuine reform or as symbolic cover to delay confronting entrenched networks.
“Countries that overcame deep crises did not do so by managing corruption, but by confronting it,” Saleh argues. “In Syria’s case, this confrontation may determine whether the crisis is reproduced or a new horizon for reform is opened.”
Anti-corruption advocates say meaningful progress requires strengthening judicial independence, enhancing accountability mechanisms, and redefining the relationship between the state, society, and media. They stress that corruption is not simply a moral failing but a structural outcome of imbalances in power and resources.
As Syria marks more than a year since the fall of the Assad regime, the corruption file has emerged as a central test of whether the new political order can deliver the break from past practices that millions of Syrians expect.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
