Released today, the 2023 CPI shows Ghana tied for 70th place (with Benin, Oman, Senegal, Timor-Leste, and Solomon Islands) out of 180 countries.

This marks a low point compared to Ghana's highest score of 48 in 2014. The CPI uses expert and business leader surveys to rank countries based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, with a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

Mixed results in Africa

This year's CPI paints a mixed picture for Africa, with some countries showing progress but the region overall struggling. Most African nations, including Ghana, experienced stagnation, keeping the regional average score at a low 33 out of 100. Notably, 90% of Sub-Saharan African countries scored below 50.

According to the TI report, despite identifying corruption as a major concern, African nations still face significant challenges in tackling it. Years of underfunded public sectors, combined with corruption and illicit financial flows, cripple basic services and disproportionately hurt vulnerable populations like the poor, women, children, and people with disabilities.

Nigeria registers slight improvement

Although still lagging behind the regional average, Nigeria offers a glimmer of hope with a five-position climb to 145th place in the 2023 CPI. Seychelles remains the top performer in Sub-Saharan Africa with a score of 71, followed by Cape Verde (64) and Botswana (59).

Global landscape

Denmark retains its top spot as the least corrupt nation globally for the fifth year running. Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, and Luxembourg follow closely. The UK and Japan share 18th place with a score of 73, while France sits at 72 and the United States at 69 (24th place).

See the entire ranking below;