The data brief, released by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation on July 8, found that Africa's average anti-corruption score rose slightly from 38.6 in 2016 to 39.1 in 2025. While the overall gain appears modest, the report says it reflects a sharp turnaround after anti-corruption performance declined until 2020 before steadily improving over the past five years.

Rwanda shared first place with Seychelles in the 2025 rankings, each scoring 76.6 points. Rwanda improved by 2.6 points over the decade, while Seychelles recorded the largest improvement of any African country, gaining 26.3 points to climb into a tie for the top position.

Despite the encouraging trend, the report paints a mixed picture across the continent. Anti-corruption performance improved in 26 countries, representing 41.2 percent of Africa's population, but worsened in 28 countries that are home to nearly 60 percent of Africans. 

Still, about one in five Africans now live in countries classified as showing "Increasing Improvement" in anti-corruption efforts.

The foundation noted that Africa's anti-corruption progress has followed a "from decline to recovery" pattern, with the continent gaining 1.4 points since 2020 after experiencing a significant drop between 2018 and 2020.

Mauritius ranked third with a score of 65.7, followed by Senegal (64.0), Benin (58.7), Botswana (57.8), Namibia (57.6), Cabo Verde (56.1), Tunisia (55.9) and Burkina Faso (55.6), completing the continent's top ten.

At the other end of the rankings, South Sudan remained the weakest performer with a score of just 6.9 in 2025, down from 11.6 in 2016, leaving a gap of nearly 70 points between the continent's best and worst performers.

Regionally, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) posted the highest average anti-corruption score at 44.5, while the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) ranked last at 26.9. 

The Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) recorded the strongest regional improvement over the decade, with all five of its member states improving their anti-corruption scores.

The report also found that progress varied across different anti-corruption measures. 

The biggest gains were recorded in reducing corruption in the private sector, while public perception of anti-corruption efforts deteriorated overall despite showing signs of recovery in recent years. Public sector corruption remained largely unchanged over the decade, according to the report.

Looking at countries that have experienced military coups since 2020, the analysis found anti-corruption performance has generally worsened after military takeovers in Chad, Gabon, Guinea and Sudan. Burkina Faso and Mali were the main exceptions, where anti-corruption indicators improved following their coups.