For many motorists in Ghana, a routine encounter at a roadside checkpoint can become a moment of uncertainty, not knowing whether the official cost of a traffic offence is the only payment expected.
That experience remains most common within the country’s traffic enforcement system, with the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) reporting that the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) recorded the highest reported incidence of bribery among public institutions surveyed in 2025.
The Governance Series Wave 3 Report found that 53.6% of Ghanaians who interacted with the MTTD reported giving a gift or making an unofficial payment in 2025, although this was an improvement from 61.0% recorded in 2024.
Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu said the figures show that while bribery remains a concern, the problem is concentrated in specific institutions where citizens frequently interact with public officials.
“I will be candid: the Police remain top of the list,” Iddrisu said during the launch of the report in Accra. “Over half of those dealing with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department still reported giving a gift.”
He, however, pointed to the decline as a sign that reforms and interventions could be making progress.
“Bribery in Ghana is concentrated, not everywhere,” he said, adding that addressing challenges in a few high-contact institutions could significantly change the national picture.
The findings are significant for motorists, transport operators and businesses that depend on road networks, as unofficial payments can increase the cost of moving people and goods.
Beyond traffic enforcement, the report showed a mixed picture of Ghana’s fight against bribery. While requests for unofficial payments increased in the second half of 2025, the overall proportion of citizens who paid bribes declined to 16.8% in 2025 from 18.4% in 2024.
The GSS also found that more Ghanaians interacted with public institutions during the year. The share of citizens who dealt with public officials increased from 56% in 2024 to 72% in 2025, representing about 1.6 million additional contacts.
Despite the challenges, the report noted that fewer people experienced repeated bribery encounters. The share of citizens who paid bribes five or more times dropped from 24% to below 4%, suggesting that frequent bribery experiences may be declining.
The report also found that more citizens were refusing to pay unofficial charges, with refusals increasing from 3.0% in the previous survey to 4.9% in the second half of 2025.
The Government Statistician called for stronger reforms, including digitising public services, publishing official fees, issuing receipts and improving complaint systems to reduce opportunities for unofficial payments.
He said the findings would continue to guide discussions with public institutions identified as areas requiring stronger integrity measures.
The Governance Series Wave 3 Report tracks citizens’ experiences with public institutions across all 16 regions using a national panel survey based on households drawn from the 2021 Population and Housing Census.
