Three of four citizens say whistleblowers risk retaliation.
Key findings
- The share of citizens who believe corruption is increasing dropped from 39% in 2022 to 33% in 2024, but those who feel corruption is decreasing also declined, from 35% to 30%.
- More than half (58%) of respondents approve of the government's handling of corruption.
- Three-fourths (75%) of Tanzanians believe reporting corruption is dangerous, while only 20% feel safe to report corruption without fear of retaliation.
- Among Tanzanians who had contact with the police in the past year, 35% report paying a bribe to an officer to avoid problems, while 30% paid a bribe to obtain assistance.
- Smaller minorities report paying bribes in exchange for medical care (16%) and identity documents (14%).
- Strong majorities express trust in the Presidency (85%), courts of law (84%), Parliament (80%), the police (76%), local government (72%), and the Tanzanian Revenue Authority (67%).
The World Bank (1997) defines corruption as the "abuse of public office for private gain," while Transparency International (2020) views corruption as "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain." Central to both definitions is the idea of misusing one's position of influence for an illegitimate benefit; implicitly, this is deemed to be to the detriment of others.
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Public perceptions of corruption are shaped by individual experiences, media narratives, and broader cultural attitudes. Johnston (2005) suggests that corruption often reflects deeper institutional issues, such as weak governance, flawed or non-existent accountability mechanisms, and cultures of patronage. Perceptions of corruption may influence public behaviour: For example, Kaufmann, Kraay, and Mastruzzi (2009) argue that citizens are unlikely to pursue services from the courts or police if they view them as guilty of graft.
Over the past decade, the Tanzanian government has undertaken a series of reforms to combat corruption. In 2015, President John Magufuli made tackling corruption a top priority, launching a vigorous campaign to root out wasteful spending and corrupt practices within government institutions. His approach included surprise inspections, dismissals of corrupt officials, and other efforts to improve public-sector accountability (Ruvaga, 2015).
Other initiatives that began during Magufuli's administration (2015-2021) include the strengthening of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), high-profile prosecutions of public officials, the digitalisation of public services to reduce bribery opportunities, and the strict enforcement of anti-bribery laws (Ruvaga, 2015), all of which have continued under current President Samia Suluhu Hassan's leadership. Recently, Hassan launched a legal reform project aimed at preventing "legal engineering" by officials who exploit loopholes in the law for their personal gain (Daily News, 2025).
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These efforts are reflected in expert assessments: The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Tanzania 82nd-best among 180 countries, up from 117th in 2015 (Transparency International, 2015, 2024).
How do ordinary Tanzanians see corruption in their country?
Afrobarometer survey findings reveal that public perceptions of corruption in Tanzania have shown notable improvement over the past decade: Compared to 2014, fewer Tanzanians say most or all officials in key government institutions are corrupt. However, dramatic improvements recorded until 2021 appear to have ended.
The share of citizens who perceive corruption as increasing is down from 2022, and more than half of respondents approve of the government's efforts to address corruption. But in significant numbers, citizens report having to pay bribes for public services, and three-fourths of Tanzanians worry that reporting corruption would open them up to retaliation or other negative repercussions.
Jacqueline Mwaipopo Jacqueline Mwaipopo is an assistant researcher for REPOA, the Afrobarometer national partner in Tanzania.
