By Alan Clement
South Sudan has once again been ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
With a score of just 9 out of 100, the country sits at the very bottom of the global ranking alongside Somalia and Venezuela, underscoring the depth of systemic corruption that continues to erode governance, service delivery, and public trust.
The CPI, which measures perceived levels of public sector corruption across 182 countries, paints a grim picture for Sub-Saharan Africa. The region remains the lowest performing globally, with an average score of 32 out of 100.
Only four countries namely Seychelles (68), Cabo Verde (62), Botswana (58), and Rwanda (58) managed to score above 50, demonstrating that reform and accountability are possible even in challenging contexts.
Since 2012, the country has experienced what Transparency International describes as a “long-term, structural erosion of integrity systems driven by democratic backsliding, institutional weakening and entrenched patronage networks.”
South Sudan’s stagnation is particularly stark with conflict accelerating the decline, embedding corruption deeply into political and administrative structures.
For ordinary South Sudanese, the consequences are felt daily. Misuse of public funds has left communities without reliable access to clean water, electricity, healthcare or education.
“Public sector corruption always hits the most vulnerable people the hardest. Despite the African Union’s adoption of the Convention on Preventing and Combatting Corruption more than two decades ago, more needs to be done,” Transparency International’s Regional Advisor for Africa, Paul Banoba, warned.
While South Sudan stagnates, regional reformers are raising the bar. Seychelles, Rwanda, and Botswana have shown that sustained reforms from digitizing public services to professionalizing the civil service can deliver cleaner governance and better outcomes for citizens.
These countries demonstrate that corruption is not inevitable, but requires political will and institutional strength to combat.
François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International, emphasized this point stating, “Corruption is not inevitable. Our research and experience as a global movement fighting corruption show there is a clear blueprint for how to hold power to account for the common good, from democratic processes and independent oversight to a free and open civil society.”
Citizens in reforming states benefit from more reliable services and stronger democratic safeguards, while South Sudanese communities remain trapped in cycles of deprivation and impunity.
The CPI also highlights how corruption is fueling instability across Sub-Saharan Africa. In Madagascar, severe corruption problems triggered Gen-Z uprisings that led to the government’s fall in October 2025.
Official figures showed 334 new corruption cases registered in the first quarter of 2025 at the cost of about US$4.1 million, underscoring the scale of the challenge.
This youth-led resistance is a warning sign for the region. With corruption undermining livelihoods and opportunities, young people are increasingly demanding accountability.
Transparency International noted that 2025 saw a wave of anti-corruption protests led by Gen Z in countries whose CPI scores have stagnated or declined, including Nepal and Madagascar.
South Sudan, with its entrenched corruption and lack of reform, risks similar unrest if leaders fail to act.
The CPI also warns that shrinking civic space is undermining anti-corruption efforts across the region. Attacks on journalists, NGOs, and whistleblowers are silencing critics and watchdogs, creating real dangers for those who expose wrongdoing.
Since 2012, 150 journalists covering corruption-related stories in non-conflict zones have been murdered; nearly all in countries with high corruption levels.
In South Sudan, where civic space is already severely restricted, this trend further weakens accountability. Without independent voices, corruption flourishes unchecked, leaving citizens with little recourse.
Transparency International is calling for renewed political leadership on anti-corruption, including full enforcement of laws, implementation of international commitments, and reforms that strengthen transparency, oversight, and accountability.
Protecting civic space and closing secrecy loopholes that allow corrupt money to move across borders are also critical. For South Sudan, the message is urgent; without decisive action, the country risks deeper instability, worsening poverty, and potential unrest.
As Banoba stressed, governments must “urgently translate anti-corruption commitments into decisive action by further strengthening accountability institutions and increasing transparency, protecting civic space and supporting public participation, along with necessary checks and balances on power.”
South Sudan’s stagnation is not just a national crisis but a regional warning. As reformers like Seychelles and Rwanda demonstrate that progress is possible, if South Sudan’s fails to act, citizens could remain trapped in hardship and its institutions hollowed out by corruption.
With elections looming and civic frustration rising, the stakes could not be higher.