Top 10 African countries with the most corruption in 2025

In Summary

• The South Sudan and Somalia governments’ spending is now being monitored in real-time using digital systems to regulate corruption.
• Eritrea has added teaching anti-corruption to school curricula, Equatorial Guinea has adopted an e-ordering system, and 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.

Deep Dive!

To an investor, the corruption index of a nation is a very critical piece of information worth considering before making any serious investment decision. Just like other parts of the world, corruption is a huge challenge in Africa and could account for over 70% of the money losses. With the world’s second-largest continent working towards sustainable development, corruption continues to wreck the progress as government projects aren’t completed on time, and others are not completed on schedule. Countries are placed on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is ‘corrupt’ and 100 is termed ‘very clean’ in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which was published in early 2025 and released by Transparency International. Here are the top nations making investments to bring corruption to an end in Africa.

10. 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.

9. 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.

8. 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.

7. 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.

6. 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.

5. 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.

4. 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.

3. 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. The Central Bank has begun implementing tech tools to monitor spending, and the Audit Bureau limited the scope of its investigations in 2024.

2. 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. But progress is being made. 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.

1. 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. While there is still a long way to go, local activism coupled with international scrutiny may finally be creating the needed pressure for change.