Africa remains the lowest-scoring region in Transparency International’s global corruption index, with only four countries exceeding the 50-point mark and 16 recording declines compared with 2024.

Seychelles, Cape Verde, Botswana and Rwanda remain Africa’s cleanest countries, according to the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published by Transparency International.

The CPI assesses perceived corruption in the public sector across 182 countries and territories, using a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very low corruption). The index draws on 13 external data sources, including the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, private risk consultancies and policy think tanks.

With a score of 68, Seychelles ranks 24th worldwide, retaining its position as Africa’s best-performing country. Cape Verde follows with 62 points, placing 35th globally. Botswana and Rwanda are joint third in Africa, both scoring 58 points and ranking 41st worldwide.

They are followed by Mauritius (61st globally), Namibia and Senegal (65th), Benin and Sao Tome and Principe (70th), and Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, which are tied at 76th. These countries complete Africa’s top 10.

At the other end of the ranking, the lowest scores on the continent were recorded in Sudan (14), Eritrea (13), Libya (13), Somalia (9) and South Sudan (9). Only four African countries scored above the 50-point threshold: Seychelles, Cape Verde, Botswana and Rwanda.

Compared with the 2024 edition, 14 African countries improved their scores, 16 saw declines, and 24 posted unchanged results. Morocco, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea recorded the largest gains, each rising by two points. The sharpest declines were seen in Seychelles, Mozambique and Eswatini, which each lost four points, followed by Namibia, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger and Mauritius, down three points.

Africa remains the most affected region

Transparency International said Africa continues to be the region with the highest perceived levels of corruption worldwide. The organisation warned that weak governance and poor accountability in the management of public funds undermine access to basic services and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.

In Madagascar, persistent corruption was among the factors that fuelled youth-led protests, which culminated in the collapse of the government in October 2025. Demonstrators denounced alleged embezzlement of public funds, failures in water and electricity services, and the lack of accountability for senior officials.

In Seychelles, despite its leading position in Africa, the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts has come under scrutiny following delays in the investigation and prosecution of an alleged $50 million money-laundering case.

Globally, Denmark topped the 2025 index with a score of 89, followed by Finland (88), Singapore (84), New Zealand (81) and Norway (81).

Transparency International also reported a continued deterioration in corruption control worldwide, citing geopolitical tensions and weakening adherence to international norms. For the first time in more than a decade, the global CPI average fell to 42. A total of 122 countries scored below 50, indicating widespread governance challenges.

The number of countries scoring above 80 has dropped from 12 ten years ago to just five. Several established democracies, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Sweden, have also seen declining perceptions of public-sector integrity.

Walid Kéfi

2025 ranking of African countries in Transparency International’s CPI (Global rank in brackets)

1. Seychelles (24)
   
2. Cape Verde (35)
   
3. Botswana (41)
   
4. Rwanda (41)
   
5. Mauritius (61)
   
6. Namibia (65)
   
7. Senegal (65)
   
8. Benin (70)
   
9. Sao Tome and Principe (70)
   
10. Côte d’Ivoire (76)
    
11. Ghana (76)
    
12. South Africa (81)
    
13. Burkina Faso (84)
    
14. Tanzania (84)
    
15. Morocco (91)
    
16. Tunisia (91)
    
17. Ethiopia (96)
    
18. Gambia (99)
    
19. Lesotho (99)
    
20. Zambia (99)
    
21. Algeria (109)
    
22. Malawi (109)
    
23. Sierra Leone (109)
    
24. Angola (120)
    
25. Togo (120)
    
26. Djibouti (124)
    
27. Niger (124)
    
28. Egypt (130)
    
29. Kenya (130)
    
30. Mauritania (130)
    
31. Gabon (135)
    
32. Liberia (136)
    
33. Mali (136)
    
34. Cameroon (142)
    
35. Guinea (142)
    
36. Nigeria (142)
    
37. Madagascar (148)
    
38. Uganda (148)
    
39. Central African Republic (150)
    
40. Republic of Congo (153)
    
41. Eswatini (153)
    
42. Chad (157)
    
43. Zimbabwe (157)
    
44. Guinea-Bissau (161)
    
45. Mozambique (161)
    
46. Comoros (163)
    
47. Democratic Republic of Congo (163)
    
48. Burundi (167)
    
49. Equatorial Guinea (172)
    
50. Sudan (175)
    
51. Eritrea (177)
    
52. Libya (177)
    
53. Somalia (181)
    
54. South Sudan (181)