Berlin · 11 February 2025 — Transparency International published its 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) on 11 February 2025, delivering a dual warning for Sub-Saharan Africa: the region recorded the lowest average score globally at 33 out of 100, and systemic corruption now threatens to undermine the integrity of climate finance flows intended to help the continent's most vulnerable nations adapt to global heating.
The index, which ranks countries based on perceived levels of public sector corruption using data from sources including the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the World Justice Project, measures factors such as bribery, diversion of public funds, and abuse of public office. Approximately 90% of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa scored below 50 — the threshold indicating serious public sector corruption problems.
The Regional Scorecard
The 2024 CPI paints a picture of a continent where corruption remains deeply entrenched in public institutions, though with notable variations and some encouraging signs of progress.
| Country | Score | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Seychelles | 72 | Regional leader |
| Cabo Verde | 62 | Strong performer |
| Botswana | 57 | Consistent performer |
| Rwanda | 57 | Notable improvement (from 53 in 2023) |
| Equatorial Guinea | 13 | Among lowest globally |
| Eritrea | 13 | Among lowest globally |
| Somalia | 9 | Second-lowest worldwide |
| South Sudan | 8 | Lowest globally |
The Climate-Corruption Nexus
A central and distinctive focus of the 2024 index is the critical link between corruption and the climate crisis — a connection that carries particular weight for Africa. The report warned that vast amounts of climate finance, intended to help vulnerable nations adapt to global heating, are at significant risk of "misappropriation, theft and misallocation."
This warning is especially acute for Sub-Saharan Africa, where many of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change also rank among the most corrupt in the world. Transparency International describes this as a "double burden" — nations facing the greatest climate threats are also those least equipped, institutionally, to manage the financial resources needed to address those threats.
The countries identified as facing this double burden include Somalia (score 9), South Sudan (8), Equatorial Guinea (13), and Eritrea (13) — all simultaneously among the most corrupt and most climate-vulnerable nations on earth.
Corruption-Proofing Climate Finance
Paul Banoba, Transparency International's Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Advisor, emphasised the urgency of protecting climate finance from corruption:
"It is critical to 'corruption-proof' all resources mobilised for climate change responses to ensure they protect the lives and livelihoods of those affected."
This call for corruption-proofing reflects a growing recognition that as climate finance flows to developing countries increase — through mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and bilateral climate aid — the integrity of these financial flows becomes a matter of life and death for communities on the front lines of climate change.
The report identifies several specific corruption risks in climate finance:
- Misappropriation of adaptation funds — Climate finance intended for infrastructure, agriculture, or disaster preparedness being diverted for private gain
- Procurement fraud — Climate-related contracts awarded through corrupt processes rather than competitive bidding
- Ghost projects — Climate adaptation or mitigation projects that exist only on paper, with funds siphoned off by corrupt officials
- Policy capture — Fossil fuel interests using corruption to obstruct the adoption of ambitious environmental policies
Drivers of Change: Where Progress Is Happening
Despite the overall sobering picture, the 2024 CPI also identifies countries where anti-corruption efforts are yielding results. Transparency International's analysis noted that countries showing improvement — such as Côte d'Ivoire and Tanzania — often benefited from:
- Specific legal and institutional reforms — Strengthening anti-corruption legislation and establishing independent oversight bodies
- Stronger prosecution of high-profile corruption cases, signalling that impunity is not guaranteed
- Beneficial ownership transparency — Requiring companies to disclose their true owners, making it harder to hide illicit wealth through corporate structures
Rwanda's improvement from 53 in 2023 to 57 in 2024 was highlighted as particularly noteworthy, reflecting sustained institutional reforms and anti-corruption enforcement over multiple years.
The Methodology Behind the Numbers
The CPI ranks countries based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, drawing on 13 data sources from 12 independent institutions. For Sub-Saharan African countries, the primary data sources include:
- African Development Bank — Country Policy and Institutional Assessments
- World Bank — Country Policy and Institutional Assessments
- World Justice Project — Rule of Law Index
- Global Insight — Country Risk Ratings
- Political Risk Services — International Country Risk Guide
The index scores countries on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 means highly corrupt and 100 means very clean. A score below 50 indicates serious corruption problems, while a score below 30 indicates systemic corruption affecting virtually all aspects of public life.
Implications for Development Policy
The 2024 CPI has implications that extend beyond anti-corruption advocacy into the core of development policy:
For Donors and International Partners
The report's warning about climate finance integrity suggests that donors should build robust monitoring and accountability mechanisms into climate finance disbursement — not as an afterthought but as a design feature from the outset.
For African Governments
The experience of improving countries demonstrates that anti-corruption reform is both possible and beneficial — not only for governance but for economic development and climate resilience. Countries that tackle corruption effectively are better positioned to attract investment, deliver public services, and manage climate adaptation resources.
For Civil Society
The report underscores the critical role of civil society organisations in monitoring public spending, exposing corruption, and advocating for reform. In environments where press freedom and civic space are constrained, this role becomes both more difficult and more essential.
The Broader Global Context
While Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the lowest regional average, the 2024 CPI makes clear that corruption is a global problem, not an African one. The global average score remains stubbornly at 43, and more than two-thirds of countries worldwide score below 50. Even among advanced economies, the report identifies concerning trends in lobbying transparency, political finance, and conflicts of interest.
Looking Ahead
The 2024 CPI serves as both a warning and a call to action. For Sub-Saharan Africa, the message is that without robust anti-corruption systems, the financial resources intended to build climate resilience may be diverted by corrupt elites rather than reaching the communities that need them most. For the international community, the message is that climate finance without integrity safeguards is not merely wasteful — it is dangerous.
As climate finance flows are set to increase dramatically in coming years — driven by commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Loss and Damage Fund agreed at COP28 — the integrity of these flows will determine whether the world's most vulnerable communities receive the support they need or whether that support is lost to corruption.
Sources:
- Transparency International, 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index:
- Transparency International, "Climate funds at risk of theft as Sub-Saharan Africa faces some of the highest levels of corruption":
- Transparency International, "CPI 2024: Sub-Saharan Africa — Weak anti-corruption measures undermine climate action":
FIRAT Editorial Board
Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
The collective editorial and research translation board of FIRAT, synthesising peer-reviewed evidence, policy briefs, and division milestones across our seven foundational research pillars.
