Mozambique fell three places in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), and now ranks 145th out of 180 countries assessed. This decline reflects the continuing challenges the country faces in the fight against corruption, placing it 36th out of 53 African nations assessed.
The CPI, which is the main global barometer for measuring perceived corruption in the public sector, is based on a number of sources of information, including expert assessments and surveys of business people. Mozambique, with 25 points out of a possible 100, shows the urgent need for reforms and concrete action to combat corruption effectively.
The report highlights a global picture in which two thirds of countries have serious corruption problems, with 80% of the world's population living in countries with scores below 50. The situation is particularly serious in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the regional average stands at 33 points, reflecting the prevalence of authoritarian regimes and the decline of judicial systems and government oversight mechanisms as contributing factors.
While nations such as the Seychelles, Cape Verde and Botswana lead the table in the region with the best scores, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan and Somalia occupy the lowest positions, with no signs of significant improvement.
The report points to the importance of stable democracies and strong institutions at the top of the index, with Denmark in first place for the sixth year running. By contrast, countries affected by military conflicts and with restricted freedoms tend to appear in the lowest positions.
For Mozambique, this result underlines the importance of strengthening anti-corruption measures, investing in institutional reform and improving the population's living conditions, so as to reverse the negative trend and promote sustainable and inclusive development.
