The Rwanda Bribery Index has found a continued decline in corruption perception, despite some services such as construction permits, driver's licences, and land-related services remaining susceptible to bribery.

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The 16th edition of the index launched on Wednesday, December 3, by Transparency International Rwanda measured the prevalence and perception of bribery in Rwanda, identified institutions most susceptible to corruption, and evaluated the broader impact of bribery on service delivery.

The latest findings show that 14.60 per cent of respondents encountered bribery directly or indirectly in the past 12 months, down from 18.50 per cent reported in 2024.

Public perception is also shifting: 64.6 per cent of respondents consider corruption levels in Rwanda to be low, compared to 59.2 per cent last year. Another 20.4 per cent view corruption as moderate, while 13.2 per cent still regard it as high.

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Public confidence in national anti-corruption efforts also strengthened this year. 83.2 per cent of respondents rated government strategies as effective, up from 80.50 per cent in 2024.

The steady drop in bribery encounters from 29 per cent in 2022 to 14.6 in 2025 per cent illustrates the cumulative impact of ongoing reforms.

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Services prone to bribery

According to the report, obtaining a construction permit remains the most corruption-prone service, cited by 22.9 per cent of respondents. Driving license acquisition follows at 16.6 per cent, and securing a land title certificate at 13.6 per cent.

Illegal construction outside national master plans and recruitment within the private sector, at 13.6 per cent and 7.90 per cent respectively, also remain high-risk areas. Bribery in water services stands at 6.70 per cent and electricity at 5.1 per cent, showing that utilities still pose challenges despite improvements elsewhere.

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Transparency International Rwanda Executive Director, Apollinaire Mupiganyi, linked the persistence of bribery to gaps in service delivery, pointing to findings from the Rwanda Governance Board’s latest Governance Scorecard.

"Delay in service delivery attracts bribes. As people yearn for services, it gets to a stage where they initiate the act themselves to get the services. If services were provided on time as citizens are entitled to, the risks for bribes would be less,” he said.

Mupiganyi urged for the public to hold service providers accountable.

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The national likelihood of bribery fell to 2.5 per cent from 3.2 per cent last year. The private sector, at 8.90 per cent, and the Rwanda National Police, at 6.20 per cent, recorded the highest likelihood of bribery.

Bribery linked to the police, however, has declined steadily over four years, from 16.4 per cent in 2022 to 6.2 per cent this year, signalling improved integrity within law enforcement.

The national prevalence of bribery also dropped to 1.5 per cent from 2.1 per cent last year. The private sector registered the highest prevalence at 8 per cent, followed by local government entities at 4.30 per cent. Rwanda Energy Group recorded 3.70 per cent, the Prosecution 3.50 per cent, and the Water and Sanitation Corporation 2.80 per cent.

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Within the business community, assessed through SDG indicators, the report shows that 4.2 per cent of businesspeople were asked for bribes this year and 1.14 per cent ended up paying.

For 10.7 per cent of those who paid said, the bribe was directly related to business activities.

Despite the decline in bribery encounters, the financial burden associated with corruption has surged. The average bribe amount rose from Rwf65,543 in 2024 to Rwf269,148 this year. The fourfold increase has disproportionately affected low-income households, more than 71 per cent of whom reported monthly incomes of Rwf100,000 or less, he said.

Mupiganyi attributed the rise to calculated behaviour by corrupt actors.

"Corrupt individuals now weigh the risks like investors. Since they know the consequences including imprisonment and asset seizures, they inflate bribe amounts to offset those risks,” he said.

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He also pointed to links between private sector corruption and institutions such as revenue authorities.

"Corruption in the private sector often connects to institutions like revenue authorities, especially when businesses seek expedited services,” he said.

He warned that corruption undermines both national development and personal progress, calling on citizens to know their rights and demand accountability. He added that Rwanda’s comparatively low corruption levels should not lead to complacency, as small pockets of corruption can still erode broader achievements.

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Underreporting remains a major challenge. An estimated 90.5 per cent of those who encountered bribery did not report it, a slight improvement from 92 per cent last year.

The reasons include lack of awareness that they should report (24 per cent), belief that reporting will not result in any action (16 per cent), mistrust in responsible institutions (13 per cent), fear of intimidation (10 per cent), fear of self-incrimination (10 per cent), and limited knowledge of reporting channels (8 per cent).

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The report recommends strengthened efforts to address corruption risks in the private sector, road traffic-related services, and local government, particularly in construction permit processes, procurement, and recruitment.

It further calls for targeted interventions in water and electricity utilities and broader public awareness initiatives encouraging citizens to report corruption.

The Ombudsman, Madeleine Nirere who attended the launch event, said the changing public perception reflects meaningful progress in anti-corruption efforts.

"It is clear that citizens now view corruption as less prevalent, and that is encouraging. If people refuse to offer bribes, corruption cannot thrive. This shows that anti-corruption measures are working,” Nirere said.

"The remaining gaps, especially in poor service delivery, continue to expose citizens to corruption risks."

She called for reforms in high-risk areas. "In services like land administration, which remain highly exposed to corruption, there must be a change. Those responsible should examine their practices and implement stronger safeguards.”