According to Transparency International's Global Corruption Barometer 2013, corruption is a large concern in the public sector as more than half of the surveyed households consider Parliament, police, public officials, and particularly the judiciary and political parties very corrupt. [1]
On Transparency International's 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, which scored 180 countries on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"), North Macedonia scored 42. When ranked by score, North Macedonia ranked 76th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector. [2] For comparison with worldwide scores, the average score was 43, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), and the worst score was 11 (ranked 180). [3] For comparison with regional scores, the highest score among Eastern European and Central Asian countries [Note 1] was 53, the average score was 35 and the lowest score was 18. [4]
The business environment in North Macedonia is negatively affected by corruption. Several sources indicate that corruption is considered an obstacle for doing business, and businessmen have reported that bribery is demanded sometimes during public procurement and contracting. [5] [6] [7]
In recent years, several major tragedies have exposed the deadly consequences of systemic corruption in North Macedonia. In 2021, a fire at a modular COVID-19 hospital in Tetovo killed 14 people; subsequent investigations revealed serious irregularities in the procurement and construction of the facility, including the use of substandard materials and the absence of fire safety protocols. [8] That same year, 45 Macedonian citizens died in a bus crash and fire in Bulgaria. Reports later revealed that the bus operator had a record of safety violations but was allowed to continue operating due to corrupt and negligent licensing practices. [9] In 2009, 15 tourists drowned in Lake Ohrid after the "Ilinden" boat sank while carrying passengers well over its legal capacity—despite repeated warnings and documented safety concerns that had been ignored by officials allegedly in exchange for bribes. [10] Most recently, in 2025, a fire in an illegally operating nightclub in Kočani killed 59 people and injured over 150. The nightclub had obtained its operating license through bribery and lacked basic safety measures such as emergency exits and fire alarms. [11] These incidents have intensified public anger and protests, highlighting corruption as a root cause of preventable disasters in the country.[ original research? ]
The European Commission Progress Report 2013 indicates some positive developments regarding North Macedonia's law enforcement and corruption prevention activities. [12]