Corruption across Africa rose dramatically in 2022 but citizens fear to speak up — Afrobarometer

A majority of Africans believe that corruption increased drastically in their countries between 2021 and 2022, according to a latest survey conducted by Afrobarometer, that also highlighted the fact that an even larger proportion of the respondents feared retaliation should they report corrupt acts to the authorities.

According to the Afrobarometer’s survey, in as many as 36 countries, corruption increased a lot by 46%, increased somewhat by 12%, or stayed the same at about 20%. About 58% of Africans say that corruption in their countries increased over the past year, which means that the overall situation has worsened significantly in 12 of the 30 countries surveyed in both 2014/2015 and 2021/2022.

The latest report further highlighted the countries where corruption has dramatically increased, citing Senegal leading with 39 percentage points, Burkina Faso (+29 points), Gabon (+24 points), Cameroon (+23 points), and Côte d’Ivoire (+22 points).

“A majority of Africans say that corruption has increased in their countries, but an even larger proportion fear retaliation should they report corrupt acts to the authorities,” Afrobarometer hinted in its report. “The survey findings highlight the urgent need for African governments to prioritize anti-corruption efforts and regain public trust,” said Maame Akua Amoah Twum, Afrobarometer’s communications coordinator for anglophone West and North Africa, during a recent webinar on corruption. “It is crucial to establish robust mechanisms for citizen engagement, protect whistleblowers, and build accountable institutions that actively work toward eradicating corruption,” she added.