Ghana has registered a slight improvement in its global corruption standing, climbing from a score of 42 to 43 in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The new ranking, released on February 10, places the country 76th among 182 nations assessed.
The CPI, which measures perceived levels of public sector corruption, underscores Ghana’s enduring challenges. Transparency International noted that despite the modest increase, the change is not considered significant under its methodology. The report pointed to weak enforcement of anti-corruption laws, fragile institutions, and persistent governance gaps as obstacles to meaningful progress.
Ghana’s CPI score has hovered around 43 since 2020, slipping briefly to 42 in 2024. The country’s highest score came in 2014, at 48, before a steady decline set in. A brief rebound followed in 2018, when optimism surrounding a new government lifted the score from 40 in 2017 to 41 in both 2018 and 2019. Since then, however, momentum has stalled.
The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Transparency International’s local chapter, emphasized that the latest figures reflect a troubling pattern. “Despite various policy interventions and institutional reforms, Ghana continues to face significant challenges in effectively tackling corruption,” the group said.
To reverse the trend, GII has urged sweeping legislative, judicial, and executive reforms. Transparency International echoed those calls, stressing the need to strengthen the justice system and safeguard its independence. The organization welcomed the Chief Justice’s decision to fast-track the creation of specialized anti-corruption courts, which it said could expedite the adjudication of graft-related cases.
Beyond institutional reforms, the report also highlighted the importance of cultural change. It cited initiatives such as the Inspector General of Police’s campaign to promote officers who demonstrate integrity, framing ethics as a cornerstone of the fight against corruption.
For Ghana, the incremental rise in CPI score offers little comfort. The data suggests that without deeper reforms and a cultural reorientation, the country’s battle against corruption will remain an uphill one.
