Ethiopia is ranked 96th out of 182 countries in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index.
The ranking positions Ethiopia near the middle of the global table and above several peers in eastern Africa, though it remains below the global average score of 42, the Index revealed on Tuesday.
More than two-thirds of countries surveyed scored below 50, reflecting what Transparency International described as persistent weaknesses in accountability and enforcement worldwide.
Across sub-Saharan Africa, the index indicated that there is limited regional progress, citing weak anti-corruption measures, constrained civic space and uneven access to justice as continuing constraints. The region has remained largely stagnant in recent years, despite improvements in a small number of countries.
According to the report, weak democracy in much of Sub-Saharan Africa – sometimes paired with armed conflicts, insecurity and escalated civil unrest – continues to undermine governance, economic stability and development efforts.
Middle Eastern and North African governments are still failing to tackle public sector corruption, reflecting inconsistent commitment from leaders and the weakness of institutions that should hold power to account, the report said.
The index, released on Tuesday, gave Ethiopia a score of 38 out of 100, based on assessments by experts and business executives of corruption levels in public institutions. Scores range from zero, seen as highly corrupt, to 100, considered very clean.
The index recommended that leaders must act to tackle abuses of power and the wider factors driving this decline, such as the roll-back of democratic checks and balances, and attacks on independent civil society.
While 31 countries have significantly reduced their corruption levels since 2012, the rest are failing to tackle the problem – they have stayed stagnant or got worse during the same period.
Globally, the 2025 index showed that only 31 countries have made significant progress in reducing corruption since 2012, while most have either stagnated or deteriorated.
Transparency International warned that declining standards, weaker democratic checks and reduced oversight have continued to undermine public sector integrity.
MG/as/APA