Mali has seen a decline in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International. The nation has descended to the 136th position globally, sliding down from its previous 135th spot. Notably, fellow AES confederation members Niger and Burkina Faso have outperformed Mali in this latest assessment.
The annual index evaluates nations based on their effectiveness in combating graft. In the 2025 report, which surveyed 182 countries, Mali achieved a score of 28/100, resulting in its drop in the international standings. This regression occurs despite various initiatives launched by the authorities to tackle financial malpractice across the country.
According to Ibrahim Harouna Touré, the regional coordinator for the Human Rights and Peace Observatory in Gao, these results highlight deep-seated issues regarding transparency and national governance. “There is a significant lack of public discourse and critical oversight concerning major state initiatives. Accountability remains absent during the awarding of public contracts,” he remarked.
The civil society representative further emphasized that leaders of various public bodies are not sufficiently answerable to the citizens. “One gets the impression of a governance system without boundaries. It seems as though every institution operates with total autonomy regarding the management of public treasury,” Ibrahim Harouna Touré observed.
He concluded that these structural failures in transparency and the lack of reporting mechanisms are the primary drivers behind the persistent levels of corruption within Mali.