Africa’s efforts to tackle corruption recorded steady progress in 2025, with several countries strengthening accountability across public institutions after years of uneven performance.
The latest 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation shows that the continent’s average Anti-Corruption score rose from 38.6 in 2016 to 39.1 in 2025.
Although the increase of 0.5 points appears small, the report says it reflects a broader recovery. Anti-corruption performance declined between 2016 and 2020 before improving during the second half of the decade, leading the Foundation to classify Africa’s overall trend as “Increasing Improvement.”
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The index measures how well countries prevent and combat corruption across key public institutions, including the executive, legislature and judiciary. It also assesses public procurement systems, anti-corruption agencies, corruption in the private sector and public perceptions of corruption.
