Africa’s fight against corruption is showing signs of recovery after years of setbacks, with several countries strengthening oversight and accountability even as public confidence in anti-corruption efforts remains fragile.
- Africa’s average Anti-Corruption score improved from 38.6 in 2016 to 39.1 in 2025, marking a recent recovery after setbacks.
- Rwanda and Seychelles top the continent’s anti-corruption rankings for 2025
- The progress remains uneven, as countries like Seychelles and Togo have made strong gains, while Comoros and Botswana have declined.
- The SADC region scored highest on anti-corruption, and the Arab Maghreb Union improved the fastest among regional blocs.
According to the 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, the continent’s average Anti-Corruption score improved from 38.6 in 2016 to 39.1 in 2025.
Although the overall gain of 0.5 points appears modest, it masks a significant turnaround. Anti-corruption performance declined between 2016 and 2020 before rebounding strongly over the second half of the decade, prompting the Foundation to classify Africa’s overall trajectory as “Increasing Improvement.”
The IIAG report assesses countries on their ability to prevent and combat corruption across public institutions, including the executive, legislature, judiciary, public procurement systems and anti-corruption mechanisms, while also considering corruption in the private sector and public perceptions.
Rwanda and Seychelles jointly top Africa’s anti-corruption rankings with identical scores of 76.6, standing 21 points ahead of Burkina Faso, which completes the continent’s top 10 with a score of 55.6.
While Rwanda has retained the number one position since 2016, Seychelles recorded the continent’s most dramatic improvement over the past decade, gaining 26.3 points and climbing 12 places to share the top spot.
Below are the 10 African countries with the strongest anti-corruption performance in 2025.
Progress remains uneven across the continent
Beyond the top performers, the report highlights sharp contrasts in Africa’s anti-corruption journey.
Seychelles, Angola, Chad, Somalia and Togo recorded the largest improvements over the past decade. Somalia, despite remaining near the bottom of the continental rankings, posted one of the strongest long-term gains, suggesting that even countries with weak governance can make meaningful progress over time.
At the other end of the spectrum, Comoros, Liberia, South Africa, Niger and Botswana recorded the steepest declines since 2016. Botswana’s inclusion is particularly notable, as the country has long been regarded as one of Africa’s strongest governance performers despite its recent deterioration.
Regionally, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) recorded the highest average Anti-Corruption score in 2025 at 44.5, while the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) ranked lowest with 26.9.
The Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) emerged as the fastest-improving regional bloc, with every member state improving its anti-corruption score over the past decade.
The report also points to encouraging progress in reducing corruption within the private sector, which recorded the largest improvement among the six anti-corruption indicators. However, public perception of anti-corruption efforts deteriorated the most over the decade, even though it has begun to recover since reaching its lowest point in 2022.
The findings suggest that while many African governments have strengthened anti-corruption institutions and oversight mechanisms, translating those reforms into greater public trust remains one of the continent’s biggest governance challenges.
Business Insider Africa
