Seven in 10 Ghanaians faced bribery demands for public services in late 2025
Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, Government Statistician and Head of the Ghana Statistical Service GSS, has highlighted an increase in bribery demands within Ghana's public institutions. Between July and December 2025, 7 out of 10 citizens seeking public services were asked for informal payments. While the proportion of Ghanaians who actually paid bribes rose from 14.3% to 18.0% in the second half of 2025, direct demands from public officials surged to 69.4%. Dr. Iddrisu emphasized that these demands, rather than citizen offers, are driving the trend. Despite this, the report indicated an overall improvement compared to 2024, with national bribe payments declining to 16.8% and high-value bribes over GH垄1,000 dropping from 14.7% to 7.6%. The survey also noted growing resistance, with 4.9% of citizens refusing bribe demands. Law enforcement agencies, particularly the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department 54.6%, Police General Duties Department 37.4%, and Criminal Investigation Department 29.5%, recorded the highest incidences of unofficial payments. Cash accounted for 94.8% of all bribe payments, though non-cash gifts doubled. Dr. Iddrisu suggested that reducing face-to-face interactions through digital service delivery and stronger protection for citizens who resist corruption are crucial to combatting this extortion trend.
