Corruption costs Africa 25% of its GDP annually, stifling growth and fueling conflict, displacing 5 million people.
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is a widely used indicator of corruption, ranking countries on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). It's important to note that the CPI focuses solely on the public sector and may not capture all forms of corruption.
The CPI methodology, revised in 2012, enables consistent comparison of corruption perceptions across countries and years. The goal of the data selection is to capture expert and business leader assessments of various public sector corruption practices. This includes bribery, misuse of public funds, abuse of public office for personal gain, nepotism in civil service, and state capture.
In order for all data to be aggregated into the CPI index, it is first necessary to carry out standardization during which all data points are converted to a scale of 0-100. Here, 0 represents the most corruption and 100 signifies the least. In the next step, the mean and standard deviation for each data source based on data from the baseline year are calculated (the "impute" command of the STATA statistical software package is used to replace missing values). Subsequently, a standardized z score is calculated with an average centered around 0 and a standard deviation of 1 for each source from each country. Finally, these scores are converted back to a 0-100 scale with a mean of approximately 45 and a standard deviation of 20.
Scores below 0 are set to 0, and scores exceeding 100 are capped at 100. The resulting CPI index for each country is calculated as a simple average of all its rescaled scores that are available for the given country, while at least three data sources must be available in order to calculate the index. The CPI score is accompanied by a standard error and confidence interval.
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As reported by Transparency International, there is a correlation between the absence of discrimination and a better CPI score. It seems that the country's justice system is an important protector of the country against corruption, and conversely, a high level of corruption can undermine the effectiveness of the justice system. Furthermore, as noted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), justice systems around the world are overburdened with large caseloads, chronically underfunded, and in need of more financial and human resources to properly fulfill their mandates. This, in combination with increasing outside interference, pressures and efforts to undermine judicial independence, results in the inability of justice systems to control corruption.
As shown in the Corruption Perception Index 2023, there is also a positive relationship between corruption and impunity. Countries with higher levels of corruption are less likely to sanction public officials for failing to adhere to existing rules and fulfill their responsibilities.
The CPI has received significant criticism related to its conceptual and methodological limitations, and bias towards developed countries. Corruption is too complex a concept to be captured by a single score. The Index only measures public sector corruption, ignoring the private sector.
Transparency International has warned that a country with a clean CPI score may still be linked to corruption internationally. As stated by Transparency International in 2024, the level of corruption stagnates at the global level. Only 28 of the 180 countries measured by the CPI index have improved their corruption levels over the last twelve years, and 34 countries have significantly worsened. No significant change was recorded for 118 countries. Among the states with the most significant decline in the CPI are authoritarian states such as Venezuela, as well as established democracies that have been rated high for a long time, such as Sweden (decrease of 7, the current score 82) or Great Britain (decrease 3, current score 71). Other countries experiencing sharp declines include Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Gabon, Guatemala, and Turkey.
The advanced economies of Northern and Western Europe, North America, and Asia and the Pacific tend to top the rankings over the long term. These nations also generally have well-functioning judicial systems, a strong rule of law, and political stability - all factors that contribute to perceptions of clean governance. However, while these top-ranked countries have strong domestic institutions, their commitment to fighting corruption appears to be weak when it comes to their own financial systems and regulations affecting the international environment. The CPI doesn't capture transnational corruption, so corrupt foreign business practices by companies from these countries don't affect their CPI scores.
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Below is a list of some of the countries in Africa struggling most with corruption, based on the CPI.
Map of the Corruption Perceptions Index, 2024, as scored by Transparency International. A higher score indicates greater transparency (i.e., less corruption).
The Most Corrupt Countries in Africa
Here's an overview of some of the countries in Africa facing significant challenges with corruption, based on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI):
- South Sudan: With just 8/100 CPI points and ranked 180th globally, South Sudan still grapples with military and oil sector-driven systemic corruption. Investigative studies reveal that over $1 billion has been misappropriated through ghost contracts and one of several shell companies controlled by government insiders. Still, there are signs of movement. Civil society is mobilized like never before, and the government’s revived anti-corruption commission is investigating procurement fraud.
- Somalia: Somalia still scores a 9/100, which puts the country at 179th globally, one of the worst in terms of performance. The country has, and continues to face, insecurity, weak institutions, and donor capture. The UN brought to light that 80% of central bank withdrawals were undocumented in 2013. In 2024, Somalia introduced digital payment systems and created a public registry to monitor funding aid to track expenditure. These mechanisms are designed to restore confidence from citizens and even donors.
- Libya: With a 13/100 score, Libya is marked by weak institutions and fragmented authority post-Gaddafi era, and is still at 173rd on the world list. One of the bigger corruption issues that plagued Libya was a phantom payroll scandal that had around 55,000 ghost workers on the payroll. Locally, governments are trying to piece together the divided state of the country’s central governance system, and so are getting international aid.
- Eritrea: Under the classification of one of the most dangerous regimes in Africa, Eritrea ties with Libya by scoring 13/100 and getting a 173rd rank. EriTax, which has attracted significant attention, is still sparking controversy, particularly among Eritreans who cannot access services they require without having to pay surmounting fees. Still, animosity towards corruption increased in 2024, there was some schooling on the matter, and there are quiet regional discussions on financial openness. Perhaps more interestingly, there is some independence given to diaspora-funded watchdogs in overseeing state activities.
- Equatorial Guinea: In 2021, France confiscated Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang’s €150 million assets due to embezzlement, leaving Equatorial Guinea with a grade of 13 out of 100 while ranked 173 in the world for corruption. The country tried to make strides toward transparency in 2024 by enacting new financial disclosure laws and beginning an e-procurement system. Citizens, especially the youth, have also begun to confront the elite class online, demanding change and transparency in governance.
- Sudan: Sudan's rank of 170th place and score of 15/100 is an outcome of Omar al-Bashir's dictatorship. Al Bashir’s years of dictatorship have rotted the nation’s systems and institutions. Even the most seasoned observers were stunned to discover a stash of more than $130 million in cash hidden beneath a pile of furniture after Al Bashir’s removal. In recent years, Sudan has taken steps to recover some of the assets they have squandered, including asset freezes, and established a special court in 2024 to expedite corruption trials. Although Sudan is still in conflict, these measures seem to indicate the existence of a willingness to restore some accountability.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): Also ranked 163 and scored 20/100. The DRC is one of the most corrupt countries, particularly concerning the mining industry and customs services. Deals are made and forgotten, allowing self-serving elites to profit while the population suffers. But a bolder civil society is emerging. This includes online whistleblowing and publishing of mining contracts, citizens want more transparency. Public anger and legal action continue to inflame, fueled by the shocking “Congo Hold-Up” investigation, which exposed the fraudulent siphoning of over $138 million through banks closely associated with Kabila’s presidency.
- Zimbabwe: With a CPI score of 20/100 and ranked 157th globally, Zimbabwe has long been marred by allegations of political patronage and state resource extraction. A report in 2023 detailed how gold smuggling cartels with alleged ties to political heavyweights siphon billions from the nation. Nonetheless, the whistleblower laws passed in 2024, along with the digitization of some Government services are beginning to slow down petty corruption. While accountability at the top is still non-existent, increasing international scrutiny may force some change.
- Chad: Chad remains unchanged as it remains at 21/100 and is ranked 158th. The accumulation of natural resources, especially oil, has led to investment alongside controversy. A case in point is the former foreign minister who is said to have received two million dollars from a Chinese energy company for oil concession contracts. There is hope for change after a peaceful succession of leadership in 2024. The new government has already made changes, such as bringing the public budget out as part of transparency. Chad also attended its first global anti-corruption summit last year, which increases hope for change within one of the world’s most fragile states.
- Comoros: In the 158th position worldwide, while scoring 21 out of 100, Comoros’ public sector corruption has particularly festered in land deals and national programs. One of the largest scandals broke out in 2022 when former president Ahmed Abdallah Sambi was sentenced to life for embezzling more than $1.8 billion through an illegal passport scheme. But in 2024, the country joined the African Peer Review Mechanism and, for the first time, started some reforms directed at reducing fraud in public contracts. Even the painfully underfunded anti-corruption commission of the country is beginning to show some resolve, indicating a build of domestic appetite for accountability.
Several African countries are making efforts to combat corruption:
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- Eritrea has added teaching anti-corruption to school curricula.
- Equatorial Guinea has adopted an e-ordering system.
- Libya has eliminated paying ghost workers.
- Equatorial Guinea held the first-ever anti-corruption summit in Chad, where they addressed Guinea-Bissau's computerized taxation framework, showcasing a notable shift in African governance practices.
- The South Sudan and Somalia governments’ spending is now being monitored in real-time using digital systems to regulate corruption.
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Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) Table
The table below shows a summary of the CPI scores and ranks for selected African countries:
| Country | CPI Score (out of 100) | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|
| South Sudan | 8 | 180 |
| Somalia | 9 | 179 |
| Libya | 13 | 173 |
| Eritrea | 13 | 173 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 13 | 173 |
| Sudan | 15 | 170 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) | 20 | 163 |
| Zimbabwe | 20 | 157 |
| Chad | 21 | 158 |
| Comoros | 21 | 158 |
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