The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has released new survey findings showing mixed progress in the fight against public sector corruption, with bribery demands by public officials increasing in the second half of 2025 even as more citizens resisted paying bribes.
Presenting the findings, Government Statistician, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, said the latest six-monthly survey revealed two contrasting trends. While the proportion of citizens who paid bribes increased from 14.3 percent in the first half of 2025 to 18 percent between July and December, demands for illicit payments by public officials also rose sharply from 51 percent to 69 percent.
Dr. Iddrisu noted that the data suggests the growing problem is being driven more by public officials demanding bribes than by citizens offering them.
Despite the increase in demands, the report highlights encouraging signs of progress. The proportion of citizens who paid bribes repeatedly—five or more times—fell significantly from 24 percent in the first half of the year to less than four percent in the second half, indicating that repeated extortion is becoming less common.
The survey also found that more Ghanaians are refusing to pay bribes, with the refusal rate rising from 3 percent to 4.9 percent over the same period.
According to the GSS, the findings are based on its six-monthly corruption survey, which tracks changes in public sector bribery over time. While the rise in demands for bribes remains a concern, the Service says the growing willingness of citizens to reject illicit payments offers a positive signal for accountability and governance reforms.
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