Zimbabwe ranked 25th most corrupt country in the world

Zimbabwe has been ranked the 25th most corrupt country globally and the 12th most corrupt in Africa in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, released this week by Transparency International.

The country scored just 22 out of 100, a marginal improvement from 21 in 2024, and remains well below the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 32. The ranking underscores persistent governance challenges and widespread corruption in Zimbabwe's public sector.

The CPI assesses perceived corruption in more than 180 countries, with 0 indicating highly corrupt and 100 representing very clean governance. Zimbabwe's position as the 25th worst globally highlights the severity of the country's public sector integrity issues.

At the official launch of the report, Tafadzwa Chikumbu, Executive Director of Transparency International Zimbabwe, offered a stark assessment and outlined key reforms:

"Six specific recommendations, the first being to ensure independent, transparent and accessible justice delivery system.
Then, they also regulate undue influence in politics, especially by the private sector, where issues of political capture and state capture are actually coming into play."

Chikumbu emphasised the urgent need for whistleblower protection laws to allow citizens to report corruption safely without fear of retaliation.

He also called for accountability for individuals involved in large-scale corruption and illicit financial flows, stressing that punishment is essential to prevent impunity.

Additionally, Chikumbu highlighted the need to simplify the recovery of stolen assets, particularly those held abroad, as part of broader efforts to strengthen governance and combat entrenched corruption.