GSS Report Exposes Widespread Bribery in Public Services
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) released its Governance Series Wave 1 Report on May 28, 2025, revealing that 18.4% of Ghanaians who interacted with public officials in 2024 paid bribes, primarily in cash. The survey, conducted via Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing with 7,248 respondents across all 16 regions, found 55.7% had contact with officials.
Bribery was most prevalent among men (77.4%), urban residents (61.9%), and those aged 35–49. Tertiary and JHS graduates were more likely to pay bribes. The unemployed were hit hardest, with 22.4% paying over GH¢1,000. Among persons with disabilities, 21% reported bribery, rising to 40.1% for those with physical impairments.
The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police recorded the highest bribery rate at 60%, followed by general duties police (46.7%) and the CID (37.9%). Greater Accra led with the highest regional bribery rate at 22%, while Savannah and North East had the lowest at 1.0% and 1.1%.
Cash was the dominant form of bribe (85.2%), with 74.9% directly solicited by officials. Only 14.5% of incidents were reported, mostly in urban settings. The GSS plans bi-annual surveys to monitor these trends and will incorporate the data into Ghana’s SDG review in July 2025.
Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu described the report as a “call to action” for data-driven anti-corruption reforms. He emphasized citizen empowerment and transparency in public service delivery to strengthen governance.