By Jean d’Amour Mugabo
Rwanda has achieved its highest-ever score and best global ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), signaling sustained progress in the country’s fight against corruption, according to new data released by Transparency International.
The 2025 CPI shows Rwanda scoring 58 out of 100, up from 57 in 2024, marking a fourth consecutive year of improvement. The country now ranks 41st globally out of 182 countries, up from 43rd last year, while maintaining its position as the top-ranked country in East Africa and third in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In Africa, Rwanda is tied with Botswana in third place, behind Seychelles, which scored 68, and Cabo Verde with 62. Regionally, Rwanda continues to outperform its neighbors, ahead of Tanzania with a score of 40, Kenya at 30, Uganda at 25, the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 20, and Burundi at 17.
Speaking at the press conference to launch the report in Kigali on Tuesday, February 10, Transparency International Rwanda Executive Director Apollinaire Mupiganyi said the steady upward trend reflects the impact of sustained reforms and political commitment but warned against complacency.
“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,” Mupiganyi said. He added that the milestone should serve as “a call to consolidate integrity systems and ensure progress is felt by citizens in their daily interactions with public services.”
Rwanda’s 2025 score draws on seven international sources assessing public sector governance, including the World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey, the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, and assessments by the World Bank and African Development Bank. Several indicators showed year-on-year improvement, particularly in perceptions of public sector integrity and the rule of law.
Rwanda’s Chief Ombudsperson Madeleine Nirere reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combating corruption, with a long-term vision of becoming the least corrupt country globally by 2050. She attributed the progress to strong political will, digitisation of public services, and active citizen engagement.
The gains come against a grim regional and global backdrop. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the lowest-performing region worldwide, with an average score of 32, and only four countries scoring above 50.
Globally, the CPI highlights a broader decline in anti-corruption performance, even among established democracies such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France and Sweden, amid weakening leadership and shrinking civic space.
The global average score stands at 42, its lowest level in more than a decade. More than two-thirds of countries, 122 out of 180, scored below 50, indicating widespread difficulties in keeping corruption under control.
For the eighth consecutive year, Denmark topped the index with a score of 89, followed by Finland with 88 and Singapore with 84.
Transparency International Chair François Valérian warned that the global fight against corruption is being undermined by a lack of bold leadership, stressing that democratic safeguards, independent oversight, and a free civil society remain essential to curbing abuse of power.
Despite Rwanda’s progress, Transparency International cautioned that no country is immune. Mupiganyi noted that safeguarding transparency, accountability and citizen oversight remains critical, particularly at a time when corruption is rising globally and civic freedoms are under pressure in many parts of the world.
The Corruption Perceptions Index, first published in 1995, is the world’s leading indicator of public sector corruption, ranking countries based on expert and business perceptions drawn from multiple independent sources.
