By: Akoi M. Baysah, Jr.
Liberia has made only marginal progress in the global fight against corruption, scoring 28 out of 100 in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has disclosed.
The latest score represents a one-point increase from Liberia’s 2024 score of 27, placing the country 136th out of 182 countries assessed worldwide.
While the slight improvement marks the second consecutive annual increase, CENTAL warns that the gain remains insufficient to reverse Liberia’s long-term decline and entrenched culture of impunity.
Speaking at a press briefing in Monrovia on Tuesday, CENTAL Executive Director Anderson Miamen described the progress as “minimal” and cautioned the government against complacency.
“Although the Boakai-Koung administration has recorded a one-point increase in 2025, Liberia remains among the world’s worst decliners on the CPI, having dropped 13 points since 2012,” Miamen said.
According to Transparency International, the CPI measures perceived levels of public-sector corruption on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), using data from 13 independent and credible sources.
These sources assess issues such as bribery, diversion of public funds, procurement irregularities, abuse of office, state capture, nepotism, and the effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions.
CENTAL boss noted that despite the modest improvement, Liberia continues to struggle with weak accountability systems, underfunded integrity institutions, and limited prosecution of corruption cases, including those involving sanctioned former officials alleged to have acquired illicit wealth.
He also raised concern over what they termed arbitrary appointments at the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, warning that such actions undermine transparency, competitiveness, and the rule of law.
Regional and Global ContextRegionally, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the lowest-scoring region globally, with an average score of 32, far below the global average of 42. Top performers in the region include Seychelles (68), Cabo Verde (62), Botswana (58), and Rwanda (57).
While some African countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, and Seychelles recorded notable improvements, Liberia remains among the sharpest regional decliners, alongside Lesotho and Eswatini, according to the report.
Globally, Denmark retained its position as the least corrupt country for the eighth consecutive year with a score of 89, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84).
Countries at the bottom of the index include South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela, all characterized by instability, repressed civic space, and weak democratic institutions.
CENTAL urged the Liberian government to move beyond symbolic gains and take bold, decisive steps to significantly improve the country’s CPI standing.
CENTAL has made some key recommendations which include the establishment of a specialized anti-corruption court, increased funding and independence for anti-graft institutions, stronger oversight of state-owned enterprises, judicial reforms, and meaningful citizen participation in governance.
It further called on President Joseph N. Boakai, Speaker Richard N. Koon, Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karngar Lawrence, and Chief Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay to provide collective leadership in steering Liberia’s anti-corruption agenda in the right direction.
The CENTAL Boss ended by commending journalists, civil society actors, and ordinary citizens who he said have continued to demand transparency and accountability, stressing that sustained public pressure remains critical to ending corruption and bad governance in Liberia.
