By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reveals a world in crisis. Public sector corruption is reaching levels not seen in over a decade. Transparency International reported on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, that the global average score has fallen to 42 out of 100. More than two-thirds of nations now score below 50. This suggests that entrenched corruption is no longer the exception but the rule. “Corruption remains a critical threat to stability, development and democracy,” the organization said in its 2025 CPI report.
Transparency International: Defining the Index
Transparency International is a Berlin-based watchdog. The CPI ranks 182 countries by perceived public sector corruption on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The index aggregates data from 13 independent sources, including the World Bank and World Economic Forum. It measures perceptions of bribery, misuse of public funds, and state capture, providing a snapshot of how a country’s public sector is viewed by experts and business leaders.
The World’s Cleanest: The Top Five
For the eighth consecutive year, Denmark leads the world as the least corrupt nation with a score of 89. It is followed closely by Finland (88) and Singapore (84). New Zealand (81) and Norway (81) share the fourth and fifth positions. However, the report warns that even these leaders are backsliding. Only five countries scored above 80 this year, down from 12 a decade ago. This indicates that “accountable leadership” is in decline even among the global elite.
Bottom Rankings: Somalia and South Sudan
Somalia and South Sudan share the lowest rank on the globe. Both nations scored a mere 9 out of 100. For Somalia, this score underscores persistent structural challenges, including fragile governance and a total breakdown in public accountability. “People are paying the price, as corruption leads to under-funded hospitals and unbuilt flood defences,” the report warns. Analysts note that such a ranking severely damages donor confidence and discourages the foreign investment vital for national recovery.
U.S.-Somalia: Rank Fuels Diplomatic Crisis
Somalia’s position at the bottom of the 2025 index has directly triggered a diplomatic crisis with the United States. The Trump administration, which took office in January 2025, has cited Somalia’s score of 9 as justification for “extreme vetting” and travel restrictions. Washington maintains that “systemic graft within state institutions” makes the nation a high-risk security partner. Under “America First” diplomacy, this ranking has become a permanent barrier to foreign aid and international travel for Somali citizens.
Africa’s “Implementation Gap”
Africa remains the lowest-scoring region overall. The Transparency Somalia Initiative (TSI) highlighted a severe “Implementation Gap,” noting that while laws like the 2019 Anti-Corruption Act exist, oversight bodies like the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission remain dormant. Transparency International warned that “declining accountability and shrinking civic space” are undermining governance across the continent, where the regional average remains a stagnant 32.
Ghana’s Rank and Global Ties
In the 2025 rankings, Ghana scored 43 out of 100, placing the nation 76th out of 182 countries. While this marks a one-point increase from the previous year, Transparency International notes this change is “statistically insignificant” and describes the country’s performance as a plateau. Ghana has failed to meaningfully break the 43-point ceiling since 2020. Notably, Ghana is tied with Côte d’Ivoire, China, and Kosovo. Analysts suggest that for Ghana to rise, it must protect its civic space. Journalists and NGOs must be able to challenge power without fear of retaliation to attract investment and maintain public trust.
Neighbors Compared: The West African Landscape
Ghana’s performance remains mixed compared to its neighbors. While Ghana (43) and Côte d’Ivoire (43) are tied, Benin has outperformed both with a score of 45 (70th). In contrast, Burkina Faso sits at 40 (84th), Togo at 32 (120th), and Nigeria trails significantly with a score of 26. This data shows that while Ghana remains above the
regional average, it is losing ground to neighbors making more consistent institutional gains.
Africa’s Top Performers
Despite regional struggles, a few nations prove progress is possible. Seychelles leads the continent with a score of 68 (24th globally), followed by Cabo Verde (62), with Botswana and Rwanda tied for third in Africa at 58. These “Bright Spots” demonstrate that institutional discipline can allow African nations to outperform many Western peers.
Gen-Z and the Demand for Change
A critical angle in 2025 is the role of youth-led movements. In Madagascar (scoring 25), systemic corruption triggered Gen-Z uprisings that resulted in the October 2025 ousting of the government. Protesters demanded an end to the “misuse of public funds causing chronic failures in water and electricity.” This mirrors a global trend where “anti-government protests show that people are fed up with unaccountable leadership.”
The Leadership and Secrecy Gap
The 2025 report identifies an “anti-corruption leadership gap,” even in established democracies. The United States fell to its lowest-ever score of 64 this year. The United Kingdom also hit a historic low, dropping to a score of 70—a dramatic 12-point decline since 2017. The report highlights that “corruption concerns risk becoming the new normal” in Britain, fueled by scandals involving political donors and “access-for-cash” arrangements. High-scoring nations like the UK often act as enablers, facilitating the transfer of corrupt proceeds from lower-scoring nations into global real estate and money laundering schemes.
A Global Call for Accountability
The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index serves as a reminder that integrity is not a destination, but a continuous defense of democratic values. The report reveals a world in crisis as the global average score has hit an 11-year low of 42. At the bottom of the index, Somalia remains tied with South Sudan at the absolute bottom of the global rankings, both scoring a mere 9 out of 100. For Ghana and the wider African continent, these rankings represent the difference between a hospital equipped to save lives and one depleted by graft. As the world faces a leadership deficit, the path forward requires more than promises—it demands the protection of the journalists, activists, and youth who serve as the true guardians of the public trust. The global decline in transparency is a wake-up call that without accountability, stability remains a fragile dream for all.
