The disclosure was made during the launch of TI Rwanda's annual CPI in Kigali on February 10, 2026.
The report assesses 182 countries and territories based on expert perceptions and data from multiple international sources, scoring them on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Rwanda's 2025 score rose to 58, up from 57 in 2024, when it ranked 43rd.
In Africa, Rwanda tied for third place with Botswana at 58, behind Cape Verde (62) and Seychelles (68), the regional leader. Rwanda maintained its top spot in East Africa, well ahead of Tanzania (40, ranked 84th globally), Kenya (30, 130th), and Uganda (25, 148th).
Several neighboring countries fared worse: the Democratic Republic of Congo scored 20 (163rd) and Burundi 17 (167th). At the global bottom were nations like Venezuela, South Sudan, and Somalia, all below 10.
Denmark topped the 2025 index with 89, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).
While Rwanda's performance stands out regionally and contributes to a broader positive trend, Sub-Saharan Africa continues to struggle, posting a regional average of just 32, far below Europe's 64.
Rwanda's gains reflect progress in areas such as the rule of law, governance, and environmental safeguards, as measured by sources including the World Bank and World Economic Forum.
Over the past five years, the country has shown steady improvement; from 52nd place and a score of 53 in 2020, it rose gradually, despite a temporary setback during the COVID-19 period, when the score dipped to 51 and the ranking fell to 54th, before reaching its current standing.
Appolinaire Mupiganyi, Executive Director of TI Rwanda, attributed the results to the country's strong institutional framework and sustained political commitment to combating corruption.
He emphasized that robust institutions and determined leadership are vital for success and stressed the need for further action in specific areas, particularly addressing sexual corruption.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-rises-two-places-in-global-corruption-perceptions-ranking
