Summary:

In late January 2024, Transparency International released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index covering 2023, ranking Tunisia 87th out of 180 total countries ranked. The ranking did not note a significant shift in Tunisia’s ranking from the prior index covering 2022. 

Tunisia shared the 87th position with Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Guyana, Suriname, and Tanzania, which all received a score of 40 out of 100. Transparency International identifies any country with a score below 50 as having serious problems with corruption. 

In North Africa, Tunisia fared better than its neighbors Morocco (Score: 38, Rank: 97), Algeria (Score: 36; Rank: 104), Libya (Score: 18, Rank: 170) and Egypt (Score: 35, Rank: 108). However, a number of Levantine and Gulf states garnered higher scores, including Jordan (Score: 46, Rank: 63), Israel (Score: 62, Rank: 33), Saudi Arabia (Score: 53, Rank: 53) and the United Arab Emirates (Score: 68, Rank: 26). 

Transparency International is a German-based non-governmental organization that provides research and policy advocacy in support of justice and the rule of law around the world. 

Outlook: 

Corruption continues to have a significant impact on Tunisia’s economic, judicial, and political systems, hindering various societal and government functions that have a both a strategic impact on the country as well as an impact on the daily lives of people in the country. 

Corruption emerges around many state-run agencies and enterprises infamous for inefficiency and ineffectiveness, often creating parallel economies and markets that are incentivized and fueled by corruption. 

The maturation of systems to create higher levels of accountability, particularly for public servants operating in key functions, will be essential for Tunisia to overcome the challenge of corruption.

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