Sierra Leone has improved its standing in the fight against corruption, ranking 15th out of 53 African countries on the 2024 V-Dem Political Corruption Index.
The country scored 0.495, up from 0.478 in 2023, placing it in the upper half of the continent. The index, developed by the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project and published through The Global Economy, measures how far political power is abused for private gain.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) highlighted the result as part of a broader positive trend. On the 2025 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, Sierra Leone scored 34 and ranked 109th out of 182 countries.
The country has also passed the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Control of Corruption indicator for eight years in a row, with scores above 70 percent and a high of 83 percent.
The 2024 Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance listed Sierra Leone among Africa’s top ten most improved countries in overall governance between 2014 and 2023. Its score on anti-corruption mechanisms ranked 7th out of 54 African countries.
ACC Public Relations Officer Alex A. Bah said the different assessments use different methods and should not be mixed together, but together they show measurable progress in governance and accountability.
The gains are linked to efforts since 2018 under President Julius Maada Bio’s administration and the leadership of ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala. Measures have included stronger enforcement of the Anti-Corruption Act, improved asset declaration and verification, digital tools, prevention work, Integrity Management Committees, public education, citizen engagement, asset recovery, and closer work with other institutions.
The ACC stressed that the fight is not over. “Those who seek to exploit public resources equally continue to adapt. Institutions must therefore adapt even faster,” the statement said. The commission called for continued commitment so that public resources serve the public, institutions earn trust, and integrity becomes the expected standard.
The latest rankings offer reasons for optimism, the ACC said, but the real measure of success will be felt in the daily lives of Sierra Leoneans.
