Sierra Leone Slips 6 Places Down in 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index
Sierra Leone’s fight against corruption has suffered a setback. In Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), the country’s score dropped two (2) places from 35/100 in 2023 to 33/100 in 2024 and its rank dropped six (6 ) places from 108/180 in 2023 to 114/180.
The CPI, which measures perceptions of public sector corruption using data from 13 global institutions, assessed Sierra Leone based on nine sources, including reports from the African Development Bank, the World Bank and the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Transparency International Sierra Leone (TISL) emphasized that the country’s decline mirrors a broader global trend, where over two-thirds of countries scored below 50, indicating widespread corruption. The organization warned that corruption continues to undermine governance, stall development, and erode public trust.
“Corruption destroys lives, weakens human rights, and fuels global crises. It blocks critical policy action, enables impunity, and deepens inequalities,” TISL stated.
The latest ranking contrasts with Sierra Leone’s progress in 2023 when the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) celebrated the country’s fifth consecutive year of improvement. Last year, Sierra Leone climbed from 110th in 2022 to 108th in 2023, with its CPI score increasing from 34 to 35.
This year’s drop suggests momentum has stalled, raising questions about the effectiveness of ongoing anti-corruption measures, it calls for stronger public sector accountability, merit-based appointments and stricter enforcement of anti-corruption laws
Despite the setback, the ACC has yet to issue a formal response to the 2024 CPI ranking, as it has done over the years. However, speaking to Awoko Alex Bah from the communications department, the ACC noted that it has acknowledged the report and continues to examine its broad recommendations, as it has done over the years. The recommendations mostly focus on climate change and policy issues.
With corruption remaining a significant barrier to governance, many are looking to the commission and policymakers for renewed commitments to transparency and accountability.
Sierra Leone’s decline in the CPI ranking serves as a stark reminder that without sustained reforms and enforcement, progress in the fight against corruption can easily be reversed.