Corruption Perception Index: Ghana moves one place up, ranked 76th

Ghana has returned to a score of 43 out of 100 on the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), ranking 76th out of 182 countries assessed globally.

This marks a slight uptick from 42 in 2024 but represents no significant progress in combating corruption, according to Transparency International (TI) and its Ghana chapter, Transparency International Ghana (TI-Ghana).

According to the report, the stagnant performance highlights ongoing challenges with weak enforcement of anti-corruption laws, politicisation of institutions, and insufficient reforms in Ghana.

Ghana ranked10th in Africa, performing well above the Sub-Saharan Africa regional average of 32 out of 100 but still falling short of the continent’s top performers.

Seychelles leads Africa with a strong score of 68, followed by Cabo Verde at 62. Botswana and Rwanda tie for third place with 58 each, while Mauritius scores 48. Namibia and Senegal both register 46, placing them ahead of Ghana, which ties with Côte d’Ivoire at 43.

This positions Ghana in the upper-middle tier of African nations but outside the leading group of five countries that score 48 or higher.

Several African countries continue to face severe corruption challenges, recording notably low scores: Kenya at 30, Nigeria at 26, and Uganda at 25. At the very bottom of the global rankings, Somalia and South Sudan both score just 9, underscoring the persistent regional and continental struggles with public sector integrity.

Published on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, the CPI underscores Ghana’s struggle with persistent corruption, including issues in public fund management and a lack of political integrity.

Despite government initiatives, such as efforts by the Office of the Special Prosecutor to enhance transparency in investigations and prosecutions, concerns over executive interference persist.

Notable events in 2025, including the dismissal of the former Chief Justice, petitions for removing heads of independent institutions, and the controversial 60:40 settlement in corruption cases involving ruling party members, have raised alarms about undue influence and the politicisation of the judiciary and law enforcement, according to the report. These factors dampened hopes sparked by initiatives like Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL).

Ghana’s CPI trajectory shows a peak of 48 in 2014, followed by a decline to 40 in 2017.

A slight improvement to 41 in 2018 and 2019 came with the optimism of a new administration, but scores have since hovered around 43, dipping to 42 last year.

Year	CPI Score	Global Ranking
2015	47	56 / 168
2016	43	70/176
2017	40	81/180
2018	41	78/180
2019	41	80/180
2020	43	75/180
2021	43	73/180
2022	43	72/180
2023	43	70/180
2024	42	80 / 180
2025	43	76 / 182

Summary of Ghana’s performance in the CPI over the last decade (2015–2025). The CPI scores countries on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), based on perceived levels of public sector corruption.

TI attributes long-term improvements in other countries to sustained legal and institutional reforms, while stagnation often correlates with eroding democratic checks, politicised justice systems, and restricted civic space.

“Countries with full democracies tend to score highly on the CPI, while non-democratic regimes perform the worst,” the report notes.

The Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International, Maíra Martini, described the 2025 CPI as a warning. She added that global governance standards are under strain amid declining leadership, the erosion of democratic checks and balances, and increasing challenges from instability, polarisation, and the climate crisis.

She called on governments worldwide to strengthen independent institutions, protect civic space and media freedom, and ensure greater accountability to citizens, emphasising that the world needs principled, accountable leaders and robust institutions to safeguard the public interest more than ever, yet too many are falling short.

“At a time of climate crisis, instability and polarisation, the world needs accountable leaders and independent institutions to protect the public interest more than ever – yet, too often, they are falling short. We’re calling on governments and leaders to act with integrity and live up to their responsibilities to provide a better future for their citizens.”

The top five countries in the 2025 CPI are those perceived to have the lowest levels of public sector corruption. Denmark leads globally for the eighth consecutive year with a score of 89 out of 100, closely followed by Finland at 88. Singapore ranks third with 84, while New Zealand secures fourth place at 81. Sweden rounds out the top five with 80.

Globally, corruption is worsening, with the average CPI score dropping to 42, its lowest in over a decade. Only five countries now score above 80, down from 12 a decade ago. Established democracies like the United States (64), Canada (75), New Zealand (81), the United Kingdom (70), France (66), and Sweden (80) are facing declines due to weakened anti-corruption enforcement and cuts to civil society support.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the region’s average score of 32 remains the world’s lowest, with only seven of 49 countries improving since 2012, while ten have deteriorated. Corruption in public fund management and a lack of political integrity are key drivers of these low scores.

TI-Ghana Recommendations

1.  To address the problem of corruption in Ghana, the GII recommended the following measures: Strengthening justice systems and protecting their independence, while welcoming the Chief Justice’s decision to fast-track anti-corruption courts for quicker adjudication of cases.
2. Urging Parliament to hasten the Community Tribunal Bill during its current sitting.
3. Expediting the adoption of the National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Plan (NEACAP).
4. Promoting cultural reorientation on ethics, such as the Inspector General of Police’s campaign to reward personnel for integrity.
5. Fostering a business-friendly environment by calling on regulatory agencies like the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ghana Standards Authority, and Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to uphold ethical standards and transparency.
6. Reforming political party financing regulations for greater transparency and accountability.
7. Protecting civic space, democracy, and media freedom.

Enhancing awareness among Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) of anti-money laundering obligations to curb illicit financial flows.