By Omar Bah
The Gambia has slipped to 99th place in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) with a score of 37 out of 100, signaling ongoing public sector integrity challenges.
This marks a regression from its 2024 peak of 38 points and 96th ranking, amid a global average CPI drop to 42.
The CPI ranks 182 countries on perceived public sector corruption, drawing from expert assessments and business surveys on a 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean) scale.
Gambia’s 37 score places it below the global average and in Sub-Saharan Africa’s struggling pack, where weak institutions and democratic backsliding fuel stagnation.
Scores under 50 indicate serious control-of-corruption gaps, a persistent issue for the nation historically averaging 31 points since 2003.
Post-2017 democratic transition after Yahya Jammeh’s rule, Gambia surged seven points from 30 (130th) by 2018, driven by asset declarations, security reforms, and a Commission of Inquiry into Jammeh’s US$50 million embezzlement.
Progress peaked at 38 in 2024, but the 2025 dip to 37 reflects stalled momentum, with rankings hovering near 100th amid regional peers like Senegal (69th, 43 points).
Recent local surveys like Gambia Participates’ Corruption Index rank police highest (74/100 corruption score, 63% citing bribery and extortion), followed by health (68), revenue authority (63), and utilities.
Root causes include low public salaries (49% of respondents), nepotism (19%), weak enforcement (15%), poverty, unemployment, and cultural tolerance for graft in a post-authoritarian context.
These erode trust, with 75% doubting government anti-corruption commitment.
The Barrow administration has since highlighted efforts like the Financial Management Bill under National Assembly review and anti-corruption legislation updates to strengthen the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The country’s civil society has urged for digital transparency, ethics training, and vigorous penalties, as institutional weaknesses persist.
This ranking hampers economic development, deters investment, and undermines public services in a nation reliant on agriculture and tourism.
