Ghana moves up one place in 2025 CPI as global corruption worsens

President John Mahama has renewed Ghana’s anti-corruption fight through the ORAL initiative.

Ghana has moved up one place in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, returning to a score of 43 out of 100. With this score, Ghana ranks 76th among 182 countries assessed in the 2025 CPI.

The marginal improvement reverses the decline recorded in 2024, when Ghana posted its worst score and ranking in five years. Between 2020 and 2023, Ghana consistently scored 43 before the one-point drop in 2024.

The Corruption Perceptions Index, published by Transparency International, assesses “perceived levels of public-sector corruption” in 182 countries and territories. It draws on 13 independent data sources and scores countries on a scale from 0, considered highly corrupt, to 100, considered very clean.

In a press statement, Transparency International Ghana, the local chapter of Transparency International, said, “The score indicates that Ghana continues to struggle with persistent corruption, weak compliance with and enforcement of the legal and policy framework, and weak state institutions dedicated to combating corruption.”

On Ghana’s low score despite renewed anti-corruption efforts by the government, Transparency International Ghana identifies some actions of the government as possible factors.

It notes that “the dismissal of the former Chief Justice and the various petitions for the removal of heads of various independent institutions smacks of politicisation of the Judiciary and law enforcement and undue influences by the executive. Also, the discontinuation of corruption cases involving members of the ruling government through a 60:40 settlement raised eyebrows among Ghanaians and dampened expectations raised by the publication of Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL).”

In the 2025 report, the global average score fell to 42 for the first time in more than a decade, highlighting a broader global decline in anti-corruption performance.

According to the report, 122 of the 182 countries assessed scored below 50, indicating serious corruption challenges in most parts of the world. Transparency International warns that in many countries, leaders increasingly treat transparency, independent scrutiny, and public accountability as optional, rather than essential elements of governance.

The organisation notes that corruption is not inevitable and that countries with long-term improvements on the index tend to show sustained political commitment and broad legal and institutional reforms. By contrast, persistently low or declining scores are often linked to weakened democratic checks and balances, politicisation of justice systems, undue influence over political processes, and shrinking civic space.

Ghana’s return to a score of 43 comes amid renewed public focus on accountability and recovery of public resources under the current administration. The government has highlighted its anti-corruption drive, including asset recovery initiatives such as Operation Recover All Loot, as part of efforts to restore public confidence and strengthen integrity in public life.

While the CPI does not measure individual policies or programmes, the report identifies stronger justice systems, independent oversight of public spending, transparency in political decision-making, and protection of media freedom and civic space as key drivers of improvement.

Regionally, Ghana ranked joint 10th in Africa in the 2025 index. The country performed above the regional average of 32, but remains outside the continent’s top five performing countries. Seychelles remains the top performer in Africa with a score of 68, followed by Cabo Verde at 62. Botswana and Rwanda both score 58, while Mauritius records 48. Namibia and Senegal score 46, and Ghana is ranked alongside Côte d’Ivoire at 43.

Several countries in the region continue to record low scores, including Kenya at 30, Nigeria at 26, and Uganda at 25. At the bottom of the global rankings, Somalia and South Sudan both score 9.

Over the past decade, Ghana’s strongest CPI performance was recorded in 2014, when it scored 48. That score declined to 40 in 2017, edged up to 41 in 2018 and 2019, and then rose marginally to 43, a level the country maintained for four consecutive years before the drop in 2024.

The Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International, Maira Martini, describes the 2025 index as a warning that global governance standards are under strain, calling on governments to strengthen independent institutions, protect civic space, and ensure accountability to citizens.

Ghana’s 2025 score is its lowest during President John Mahama’s first term in office. In 2013, Ghana scored 46, and 48 in 2014. In 2015, Ghana scored 47, and in 2016, it dropped to 43.

During Akufo-Addo’s eight-year presidency, Ghana’s CPI score was between 40 and 43, despite the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). It is yet to be seen whether President Mahama’s anti-corruption drive will improve the nation’s score in subsequent years.