About seven in every 10 Ghanaians who interacted with public officials in the second half of 2025 were asked to make unofficial payments for services they were already entitled to receive, according to the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) Governance Series Wave 3 Report.
The report, which tracks citizens’ experiences with public institutions across all 16 regions, found that 69% of people who dealt with public officials between July and December 2025 were asked to pay something extra, up from 51% recorded in the first half of the year.
The findings highlight continued challenges around public sector efficiency, with unofficial payments creating additional costs for households and businesses that depend on government services, regulatory approvals and administrative processes.
Speaking at the launch of the report in Accra, Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu said the data showed that the problem was increasingly driven by demands from officials rather than citizens voluntarily offering bribes.
“Out of every hundred Ghanaians who walked up to a public official in the last six months of 2025, 69 were asked to pay something extra for a service they had already earned, a right that was already theirs,” he said.
The survey showed that the proportion of Ghanaians who actually paid bribes increased to 18.0% in the second half of 2025 from 14.3% in the first six months of the year, representing about one in six people who interacted with public institutions.
However, the report also pointed to some improvements. The share of people who paid bribes five or more times declined sharply to below 4% from 24% in the previous wave, suggesting that repeated bribery encounters may be becoming less common.
The proportion of citizens who refused to pay also increased to 4.9% from 3.0%, indicating a growing willingness among some Ghanaians to reject unofficial demands.
Looking at the full year, the GSS said Ghana recorded progress compared with 2024. Although more citizens accessed public services in 2025, the proportion who paid bribes declined to 16.8% from 18.4% a year earlier.
The report identified the Police’s Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) as the institution with the highest reported bribery incidence, although the figure improved to 53.6% in 2025 from 61.0% in 2024.
The Government Statistician called for stronger use of digital systems, including publishing official fees, expanding online services and improving complaint channels, to reduce opportunities for unofficial payments.
For businesses, the findings reinforce the need for transparent public processes, as unpredictable unofficial costs can affect operational decisions, compliance expenses and confidence in the business environment.
