VICTORIA, Seychelles — Seychelles has improved its score on the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) and is now ranked 20th globally among 180 countries assessed. The country received a score of 71 out of 100, taking the lead among sub-Saharan African states and sharing the same ranking as Austria, France and the United Kingdom. The 2022 CPI had given Seychelles a score of 70, and the latest result confirms a slow but steady improvement in the country’s perceived levels of public sector corruption.
The CPI, produced by the global coalition against corruption Transparency International, ranks countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. A score of 0 indicates high levels of perceived corruption, while 100 indicates very clean. The 2023 result places Seychelles ahead of every other country in sub-Saharan Africa, and well above the regional average for the continent. It is the first time since the index was first published that Seychelles has shared a place in the global top 20 with the three European countries mentioned above.
President Wavel Ramkalawan expressed pride at the achievement, framing it as evidence that the administration’s commitment to transparency and good governance is producing tangible results. As a country, we will continue to strive to improve our CPI ranking whilst also ensuring we maintain the integrity, credibility, and confidence in our public institutions, the President said. He added that Seychelles remains steadfast in its quest to eliminate corruption and to increase public trust in the work of government.
Transparency International’s annual report notes that the gains in Seychelles have been driven by a combination of legal reform, the strengthening of oversight institutions, and a higher rate of investigation of corruption allegations. The 2023 result comes in a year in which several other small island states also recorded improvements, suggesting that size is not necessarily a barrier to the establishment of effective anti-corruption systems. The report does, however, note that there is still room for improvement, particularly in the area of public procurement.
For Seychellois readers, the practical impact of the improved ranking is likely to be felt in two ways. The first is in the continued attractiveness of the country to foreign investors, who often look at CPI scores when deciding where to deploy capital. The second is in the cost of borrowing, since several international lenders adjust their terms based on perceived governance risk. The 2024 CPI is expected to be released in late January or early February of 2025, and the government has indicated that it intends to maintain or improve on the score.
