(2025-01) Governance Diagnostic Report - Haiti
Summary — An IMF technical assistance report analyzing corruption risks and governance weaknesses in Haiti's key state functions. The report examines fiscal governance, financial sector oversight, and anti-corruption frameworks in the context of Haiti's fragile state status.
Key Findings
- Haiti is the poorest country in Latin America with approximately 11 million inhabitants, half residing in Port-au-Prince area.
- Over 96% of Haiti's population is exposed to natural hazards including hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes.
- Lack of security and gang violence are identified as the most significant contributors to Haiti's fragility.
- Forest coverage has declined to only 12.6% as of 2020, posing long-term threats to the agriculture-dependent economy.
- Severe governance weaknesses exist across fiscal governance, financial sector oversight, and anti-corruption frameworks.
Full Description
This comprehensive governance diagnostic report examines corruption risks and governance weaknesses across Haiti's key state functions. The assessment was conducted by IMF staff during September-December 2023 through virtual missions and extensive desk review. The report analyzes the severity of corruption and its impact on Haiti's fragility as the poorest country in Latin America with a population of approximately 11 million.
The diagnostic covers four main areas: the severity of corruption and its relationship to state fragility, rule of law and anti-corruption frameworks, governance weaknesses in fiscal governance including revenue administration and public financial management, and governance weaknesses in financial sector oversight. The report identifies macro-critical governance vulnerabilities and proposes concrete reform measures aligned with international standards.
Haiti faces significant challenges including lack of security, gang violence, natural disaster exposure (with over 96% of population exposed to natural hazards), climate change impacts, and deteriorating access to basic services. The report emphasizes that continued decline of arable land poses long-term economic threats due to heavy dependence on agriculture. The analysis considers Haiti's status as a fragile and conflict-affected state and provides forward-looking recommendations to strengthen governance and integrity for stable economic development.