Zimbabwe has scored 22 out of 100 in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), a slight increase from last year’s score of 21, according to Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ).
The CPI, a globally recognised benchmark, measures perceived levels of public sector corruption and is widely used by governments, investors and civil society to assess governance performance.
The CPI scores countries from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). A score of 22 indicates that corruption is seen as widespread and systemic in the public sector. Most countries that score below 30 are considered to face serious governance and accountability challenges.
Speaking on This Morning on Asakhe, a daily current affairs programme hosted by the Centre for Innovation and Technology Zimbabwe (CITEZW) on X, TIZ executive director Tafadzwa Chikumbu said the one-point increase did little to change the country’s overall corruption outlook.
“We realised a very small movement, which is a single point up, and this reflects the reality of corruption in our country,” Chikumbu said. “Corruption in Zimbabwe takes various forms. We have high political corruption, particularly involving politically connected persons around tenders, and this has been in the public domain for a long time.”
He said such cases influence the perceptions of businesspeople and experts who contribute to the CPI, reinforcing Zimbabwe’s low ranking.
Chikumbu said ordinary citizens continue to encounter corruption in their daily interactions with public officials, including within law enforcement.
“Our recent index shows that the majority of people we engaged indicated that the Zimbabwe Republic Police is one of the institutions whose officers have a high appetite to accept bribes and to solicit them,” he said. “Other sectors such as health, education and several public service institutions were also cited.”
He added that corruption has become normalised, particularly among young people.
“For young people in Zimbabwe, it is now normal to offer a bribe, especially if someone wants to get a driver’s licence, birth certificate or a national ID,” Chikumbu said.
Fear of retaliation and weak whistleblower protections were cited as major barriers to reporting corruption.
“Most people are reluctant to whistleblow because they are not protected,” he said. “They fear retaliation, including threats to their lives.”
In response to the 2025 CPI findings, TIZ has called for urgent reforms to reverse persistent corruption trends and restore public confidence.
The organisation urged government to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, ensure impartial investigation and prosecution of corruption cases, and improve access to justice.
It also called for tighter regulation of political influence, protection of civil society, journalists and whistleblowers, and greater transparency in public services, procurement and budgeting.
TIZ further stressed the need to prevent, detect and punish grand corruption and illicit financial flows to safeguard public resources and support Zimbabwe’s fiscal recovery.
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