The Ghana Police-Motor Transport and Traffic Division (MTTD) is the most corrupt public institution in the country, according to the latest governance survey from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
Released in April 2025, the Governance Series Wave 1 survey shows that 61.0% of Ghanaians who engaged with MTTD officers in 2024 gave money or gifts in return for service.
Below are the Top 10 Public Institutions identified as having received bribes:
- Police-MTTD – 61.0%
2. Police-General Duties – 46.7%
3. Police-CID – 37.9%
4. Passport Officials – 32.5%
5. Birth and Death Registry – 31.6%
6. Lands Commission Officials – 30.8%
7. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) – 28.3%
8. Electoral Commission – 24.3%
9. Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assembly Officials – 19.9%
10. Teachers in Public Schools (Primary, JHS, SHS) – 18.4%
The survey, conducted from January 2 to 20, 2025, across all 16 regions and involving a representative national population of 9,058,519, also found that over half (55.7%) of Ghanaians had at least one contact with a public official last year.
Demographically, the problem is heavily urban and male-skewed—68.3% of contacts with public officials were by males, and 64.3% occurred in urban settings.
With only 12% of Ghanaians believing they have real opportunities to influence political decision-making, the report stresses a critical breakdown in governance responsiveness and public trust.
By Ruth Sekyi
Find the full GSS Governance Series Wave 1 document below;
