Published: October 21, 2026
5 Key Facts
- Seychelles is Africa's least corrupt country in 2026. The Indian Ocean island nation scored 68 out of 100 on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2025, the latest edition, released in February 2026. It ranks 24th in the world, down six places from 18th the year before, but still far ahead of any other African country.
- Only four African countries score above 50. Of the 49 Sub-Saharan African countries assessed, just Seychelles (68), Cabo Verde (62), Botswana (58) and Rwanda (58) cross the halfway mark. The regional average is 32 out of 100, the lowest of any region in the world.
- Island nations dominate the top ten. Seychelles, Cabo Verde, Mauritius and São Tomé and Príncipe take four of the ten slots. Small island states consistently outperform the mainland on the index.
- Rwanda and Botswana are the biggest African climbers inside the top ten. Both scored 58 and rose two places to joint 41st in the world. Senegal also climbed four places to joint 65th, one of the strongest gains in Africa this edition.
- The final slot is a tie. Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana both scored 43 and share 76th place in the world. This article places Côte d'Ivoire tenth on alphabetical order and names Ghana as the tied runner-up, with the tie fully disclosed in the Methodology.
The big picture: Africa's cleanest public sectors are concentrated in island nations and two standout mainland reformers, Botswana and Rwanda. Below the top four, scores drop fast: Mauritius sits at 48, and the tenth spot needs only 43. Transparency International warns that Sub-Saharan Africa remains the world's lowest-performing region, with ten countries declining significantly since 2012 and only seven improving. The index measures perceived public-sector corruption, not corruption itself, so it reflects what businesses, experts and analysts see on the ground. See also our 2026 ranking of Africa's most corrupt countries for the other end of the scale.
| # | Country | CPI score (/100) | Global rank | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seychelles | 68 | 24th | -6 |
| 2 | Cabo Verde | 62 | 35th | 0 |
| 3 | Botswana | 58 | 41st | +2 |
| 4 | Rwanda | 58 | 41st | +2 |
| 5 | Mauritius | 48 | 61st | -5 |
| 6 | Namibia | 46 | 65th | -6 |
| 7 | Senegal | 46 | 65th | +4 |
| 8 | Benin | 45 | 70th | -1 |
| 9 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 45 | 70th | -1 |
| 10 | Côte d'Ivoire | 43* | 76th* | -7 |
* Tied with Ghana, which also scored 43 and ranks 76th globally (up four places). See Methodology for the tie-break rule.
Selected Details
1. Seychelles: 68, a clear African number one
Africa's cleanest public sector for yet another year, at 24th in the world. The archipelago of about 120,000 people sits 11 places ahead of the next African country. Its score slipped and it fell six places globally, from 18th to 24th, but the gap to the rest of Africa is still wide. Seychelles is one of only four African countries to score above 50. (Transparency International CPI 2025 press release)
2. Cabo Verde: 62, steady at 35th in the world
The Atlantic island nation held its 35th place with no rank change. Cabo Verde has been Africa's second-cleanest country for years, and its score of 62 keeps it six points clear of the chasing pack. Like Seychelles, it benefits from stable democratic institutions across a small, service-led economy. It is also one of the four African countries above 50.
3. Botswana: 58, back up to joint 41st
Africa's mainland leader rose two places to 41st in the world. Botswana's score of 58 puts it level with Rwanda and well ahead of every other mainland country. The diamond-rich democracy has long been the continent's mainland benchmark for clean government, and the latest edition confirms the position. It remains one of the four African countries above 50. (360 Angola)
4. Rwanda: 58, tied with Botswana and rising
Rwanda matched Botswana at 58 and climbed two places to joint 41st. It is one of the 15 African countries that improved and rose in the 2025 rankings, per Transparency International's regional analysis. The East African country's score is the joint-highest ever recorded by a mainland African state outside Botswana. It completes the set of four African countries above 50. (Transparency International Zambia)
5. Mauritius: 48, sliding five places to 61st
The Indian Ocean financial hub fell five places and dropped below 50. Mauritius scored 48 in the 2025 edition, down from above the 50 mark. It is still comfortably Africa's fifth-cleanest country, 13 places ahead of the next entry, but the direction of travel is down. The island's score is now closer to Namibia's 46 than to Rwanda's 58.
6. Namibia: 46, down six places to 65th
Namibia fell six places to joint 65th with a score of 46. The southern African country shares its world rank with Senegal, the other country on 46. Namibia remains the third-cleanest mainland country in Africa, behind Botswana and Rwanda. Its six-place fall is the joint-steepest among the top ten.
7. Senegal: 46, the biggest climber in the top ten
Senegal rose four places to joint 65th, the strongest gain among Africa's ten cleanest. Its score of 46 puts it level with Namibia. The West African country is one of the 15 African improvers in the 2025 edition, and its rise contrasts with falls for most of its top-ten peers. (TheDiggerNews)
8. Benin: 45, holding at 70th in the world
Benin slipped one place to 70th with a score of 45. The West African country has been a steady top-ten African performer in recent editions. Its score puts it one point behind Namibia and Senegal and one point ahead of the tenth-place tie. Benin shares its world rank with São Tomé and Príncipe, the other country on 45.
9. São Tomé and Príncipe: 45, the fourth island in the top ten
The two-island Gulf of Guinea nation held 70th place with a score of 45. With one of Africa's smallest populations, São Tomé and Príncipe is the least-known name on this list, but its institutions have scored consistently in the mid-40s. It slipped one place this edition, in line with most of the top ten.
10. Côte d'Ivoire: 43, edging Ghana for the last slot
Côte d'Ivoire takes the final top-ten place on alphabetical tie-break, after falling seven places to 76th. The world's largest cocoa producer scored 43, exactly the same as Ghana, which also ranks 76th globally but rose four places. Both countries share the score and the world rank, so the tenth slot is effectively joint. This article lists Côte d'Ivoire tenth and names Ghana as the tied runner-up rather than expanding the list. (Wikipedia, Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 table)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the least corrupt country in Africa in 2026?
Seychelles. It scored 68 out of 100 on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2025, released in February 2026, and ranks 24th in the world. Cabo Verde is second in Africa with 62, followed by Botswana and Rwanda on 58 each.
How does Transparency International measure corruption?
The Corruption Perceptions Index scores 182 countries from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). It is built from 13 independent surveys and expert assessments of public-sector corruption, covering issues like bribery, misuse of public funds and officials using office for private gain. It measures how corruption is perceived by businesses and experts, not corruption itself. Scores are comparable across years.
Why do African island nations score so highly?
Four of Africa's ten least corrupt countries are islands: Seychelles, Cabo Verde, Mauritius and São Tomé and Príncipe. Small populations, service-led economies and long runs of stable democratic government are the common factors. On the mainland, Botswana and Rwanda show that clean government is possible at scale too, with both scoring 58.
Is corruption getting worse in Africa?
By this measure, yes. Sub-Saharan Africa averages 32 out of 100, the lowest of any region in the world, and the average fell one point in 2025. Ten countries have declined significantly since 2012, while only seven have improved. One bright spot: Angola has gained 17 points since 2015 after high-profile prosecutions and new asset-recovery laws, though its score of 32 is still well below the top ten.
Where do Nigeria and South Africa rank?
Neither makes the top ten. South Africa scored 41 and ranks 81st in the world, up one place. Nigeria scored 26 and ranks 142nd, down two places after two more countries joined the index. For the full list of Africa's worst performers, see our 2026 ranking of Africa's most corrupt countries.
Data Sources
- Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2025: Sub-Saharan Africa press release: regional average 32, only four of 49 countries above 50, ten declined significantly since 2012. Released February 10, 2026. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- Transparency International, CPI 2025 global map and index: scores for all 182 countries and territories. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Corruption Perceptions Index: full 2025 ranking table used for global ranks and year-on-year rank changes (Seychelles 24th/-6, Cabo Verde 35th/0, Botswana and Rwanda 41st/+2, Mauritius 61st/-5, Namibia and Senegal 65th/-6 and +4, Benin and São Tomé and Príncipe 70th/-1, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana 76th/-7 and +4). Accessed October 21, 2026.
- Transparency International Zambia, Corruption Perceptions Index 2025: global average 42, first drop in over a decade; Sub-Saharan Africa the lowest-performing region. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- 360 Angola / Expansão: the 15 African countries that improved and rose (Botswana, Rwanda, Senegal, Ghana among them) and the 16 that fell. Published February 15, 2026. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- The Eastleigh Voice: CPI 2025 regional analysis, Sub-Saharan Africa the lowest-performing region of 182 countries assessed. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- The Legal Observer: Nigeria 26, 142nd; Seychelles 68 the region's highest, followed by Cabo Verde (62), Botswana (58) and Rwanda (58). Published February 10, 2026. Accessed October 21, 2026.
- TheDiggerNews: bottom scores (Somalia and South Sudan 9, Eritrea 13, Sudan 14), Equatorial Guinea 15, Burundi 17. Published October 8, 2026. Accessed October 21, 2026.
Methodology
The anchor source is Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2025, released on February 10, 2026. The index scores 182 countries and territories from 0 (perceived as highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived as very clean), combining 13 independent data sources that survey businesses and country experts on public-sector corruption. This article ranks all African countries by their CPI 2025 score, highest first. The "2026" in the title reflects the publication year and the 2026 edition cycle of this ranking series; the underlying data is the CPI 2025, the latest available. Ties are broken alphabetically and disclosed: Botswana and Rwanda both scored 58 (joint 41st globally), Namibia and Senegal both scored 46 (joint 65th), Benin and São Tomé and Príncipe both scored 45 (joint 70th), and Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana both scored 43 (joint 76th). Côte d'Ivoire takes the tenth slot and Ghana is named as the tied runner-up so the list stays at ten. Global ranks and year-on-year rank changes are taken from the published 2025 table; the change column compares each country's world rank in CPI 2025 with its rank in CPI 2024. Scores are rounded to whole numbers as published by Transparency International. Data accessed October 21, 2026.
Cover image: Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue, Seychelles (aerial). Photograph by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
