Rwanda has reached its highest-ever score and best global ranking in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), reinforcing the country’s position as a regional leader in the fight against corruption.
According to the latest CPI released by Transparency International, Rwanda scored 58 out of 100, up from 57 in 2024, marking a fourth consecutive year of improvement. The new score places Rwanda 41st globally, an advance from 43rd in 2024, while maintaining its position as number one in East Africa and third in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Within Africa, Rwanda shares third place with Botswana at 58 points, behind Seychelles (68) and Cabo Verde (62). In East Africa, Rwanda leads by a wide margin, followed by Tanzania (40), Kenya (30), Uganda (25), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (20), and Burundi (17).
Rwanda’s consistent upward trajectory since 2022 reflects sustained reforms and institutional discipline. Over the past four years, the country’s CPI scores have steadily increased from 51 (2022) to 53 (2023), 57 (2024), and now 58 (2025), the highest in its history.
Commenting on the results, Apollinaire Mupiganyi, Executive Director of Transparency International Rwanda and a member of the TI Board, said the progress demonstrates the impact of long-term commitment to integrity.
“Rwanda’s steady rise in the CPI over four consecutive years sends a powerful signal that sustained reforms, political commitment, and institutional discipline can deliver real results. However, this milestone should not lead to complacency, but rather to strengthening integrity systems and ensuring citizens feel the impact in their daily interactions with public services.”
The CPI score for Rwanda is based on data from seven independent sources, including assessments from the World Economic Forum, the African Development Bank, the World Justice Project, the World Bank, and other global governance institutions.
Despite Rwanda’s progress, the 2025 CPI highlights a troubling global trend. Corruption continues to worsen worldwide, with the global average score falling to 42, its lowest level in more than a decade. More than two-thirds of the countries assessed scored below 50, indicating widespread challenges in controlling public sector corruption.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the lowest-performing region, with an average score of 32, and only four countries scoring above 50. Transparency International warns that weak leadership, shrinking civic space, and declining accountability mechanisms are undermining anti-corruption efforts across the globe.
Call for sustained leadership
Transparency International emphasizes that progress against corruption requires renewed political leadership, strong enforcement of laws, protection of civic space, and greater transparency in financial systems.
As global corruption challenges intensify, Rwanda’s performance in the 2025 CPI stands out as evidence that sustained reforms and institutional protection can yield measurable results. However, experts caution that continued vigilance and citizen oversight remain essential to safeguarding and advancing these gains.
The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks 182 countries and territories based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, using data from multiple independent institutions and expert assessments.
