Africa's fight against corruption is showing signs of recovery after years of setbacks, with several countries strengthening oversight and accountability even as public confidence in anti-corruption efforts remains fragile.
According to the 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, the continent's average Anti-Corruption score improved from 38.6 in 2016 to 39.1 in 2025.
Although the overall gain of 0.5 points appears modest, it masks a significant turnaround. Anti-corruption performance declined between 2016 and 2020 before rebounding strongly over the second half of the decade, prompting the Foundation to classify Africa's overall trajectory as "Increasing Improvement."
The IIAG report assesses countries on their ability to prevent and combat corruption across public institutions, including the executive, legislature, judiciary, public procurement systems and anti-corruption mechanisms, while also considering corruption in the private sector and public perceptions.
Rwanda and Seychelles jointly top Africa's anti-corruption rankings with identical scores of 76.6, standing 21 points ahead of Burkina Faso, which completes the continent's top 10 with a score of 55.6.
