Countries with Highest Levels of Corruption in Africa in 2025

In the ongoing struggle against corruption, several African nations have taken significant strides towards financial openness and transparency. Here's a roundup of the recent developments across the continent.

In 2024, Eritrea witnessed a surge in public discontent towards corruption, sparking quiet regional discussions about financial openness. The Eritrean government has made efforts to increase accountability, with the introduction of EriTax, a tax service, despite the controversy surrounding the high fees required for access. To bolster oversight, diaspora-funded watchdogs have been granted some independence to monitor state activities. Additionally, Eritrea has incorporated teaching anti-corruption into its school curriculum.

Meanwhile, in Libya, the Central Bank has begun implementing tech tools to monitor spending, marking a step towards transparency.

South Sudan and Somalia have embraced digital systems to regulate corruption in real-time. South Sudan's anti-corruption commission is currently investigating procurement fraud, while Somalia introduced digital payment systems and created a public registry to monitor funding aid and track expenditure in 2024.

In Equatorial Guinea, the government has enacted new financial disclosure laws and initiated an e-procurement system. The country also adopted an e-ordering system and held the first-ever anti-corruption summit in Chad. However, Equatorial Guinea continues to grapple with corruption, particularly in the mining industry and customs services, as exposed by the "Congo Hold-Up" investigation. Public anger and legal action persist due to the siphoning of over $138 million.

Zimbabwe has taken steps to slow down petty corruption by passing whistleblower laws and digitizing some government services.

Sudan initiated assets freezes and established a special court in 2024 for corruption trials following the removal of Omar al-Bashir.

Comoros was sentenced to life for embezzling more than $1.8 billion through an illegal passport scheme.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France confiscated Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang's €150 million assets from Equatorial Guinea in 2021 due to embezzlement.

Chad's former foreign minister received a bribe of two million dollars from a Chinese energy company for oil concession contracts.

Switzerland took the initial steps towards reducing corruption in education in the first half of 2024, preparing a new anti-corruption strategy, which was to be updated and consolidated by the Federal Council in 2025.

Libya has eliminated paying ghost workers, demonstrating a commitment to financial accountability.

Lastly, in the midst of these developments, citizens in countries like Eritrea and Equatorial Guinea, particularly the youth, have been vocal online, demanding change and transparency in governance.

These efforts towards transparency and accountability are promising signs of progress in the fight against corruption across Africa. However, much work remains to be done to ensure that these initiatives lead to tangible improvements in the lives of the citizens.